Hoteliers receive eco-certification awards

The tourism industry risked killing its own economic activity if it did not preserve the country's cultural and natural tourism, Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said yesterday.

The minister was speaking prior to the presentation of eco-certification awards to 11 hotels which have managed to make the grade established in a scheme aimed at urging them to reduce as much as possible the impact on the environment.

Nineteen hotels had applied to take part in the scheme.

The award ceremony was held at ir-Razzett l-Antik in Qormi.

George Micallef, chairman of the Green Committee set up at the Malta Tourism Authority to evaluate the hotel candidates, said the scheme was introduced last October to mark eco tourism year.

The MTA's consultants suggested that the authority team up with Alcudia, in the east of Majorca, which has similar tourism characteristics as Malta.

Dr Zammit Dimech noted that the eco-certification scheme had 130 criteria distributed in 10 areas of assessment. Forty of the criteria are compulsory.

The hotels were audited in March after training was given to the hotel coordinators.

The hotels which received the award were Radisson SAS Bay Point Resort, Hotel Bernard, Hotel Santana, Corinthia Marina, Corinthia San Gorg, New Dolmen, Corinthia Palace, Corinthia Jerma Palace, Le Meridien Phoenicia, Victoria Hotel, and Coastline Hotel.

MTA chairman John Grech said much more attention ought to be paid to the way hotels offered their services.

"It is important for hotels to invest to change the paradigm according to which things are done.

"We have to respect those characteristics that make us different."

Dr Grech urged the hotels which made the grade to act as 'multipliers' to influence the manner in which Malta presents its product and the way the island is 'sold' to prospective visitors.

The hotels will between them invest about Lm150,000 in a bid to improve the environment.

The main points in the scheme range from training staff to environmental best practices, reducing the use of harmful chemicals or to introducing environmentally friendly alternatives.

More than another 20 hotels have indicated their interest in taking part in the eco-certification system for this year.