'Value added' tourism needed

The tourism sector will not be sustainable unless Malta is promoted to tourists with a greater value added, Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said.

During the past 10 years the number of five-star hotels increased from five to 15 with the number of beds in this category going up more than fivefold, from 1,274 in 1995 to 6,324 today.

Through these hotels the tourism sector was earning more with less strain on the infrastructure, said the minister.

The minister, who was opening the International Conference on Sustainable Tourism organised by the Islands and Small States Institute, in Valletta, said sustainable tourism development required the informal participation of all relevant stakeholders.

"It is the role of the government to influence planning in all sectors, especially within the tourism sector, if we really want to sustain the foundations of sustainable development.

"The number of beds in the tourism sector is very important if we want to attract a planned number of tourists. But more important is the number of hotels."

Dr Zammit Dimech added that a few bigger hotels need less land than a greater number of small hotels catering for the same number of beds.