'Big drop' in complaints about timeshare touts

There has been a dramatic drop in the number of complaints about timeshare touts a month after the publication of new regulations, the government said.

The regulations are aimed at minimising the harassment of tourists by timeshare promoters, better known as OPCs. They include strict guidelines on the sellers' behaviour with the aim of filtering out those who cause damage to the reputation of the business.

Anyone who sells timeshare has to wear a tag that ensures he or she is licensed and which identifies the seller's employer.

The government said that to facilitate enforcement, timeshare marketing companies are being requested to deposit money, in the form of bonds, from which fines will be drawn, while greater financial and human resources have been dedicated to intensify monitoring and enforcement.

Since the regulations came into force, the regulatory directorate of the Malta Tourism Authority has investigated over 15 cases of reported abuses ranging from working without a valid licence to over-aggressive selling.

The new regulations were the result of a series of intensive meetings held between representatives of the timeshare industry and officials from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and the Malta Tourism Authority.