Holiday booking portal 'not yet set up'

Labour tourism spokesman Evarist Bartolo said the government has failed to set up an electronic portal through which tourists could book a holiday using the internet, despite a pledge by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi that the portal would be up and running by the beginning of summer.

"Summer is almost over and the government has not delivered," Mr Bartolo said, adding that the portal could be ready by the beginning of next year.

The government had also promised to bring over 70,000 additional tourists over the arrivals in 2005. Instead, 16,000 less had arrived in the first seven months of the year.

By June last year, the Cabinet's inter-ministerial committee chaired by Dr Gonzi was meant to have come up with a plan to embellish the country and with incentives for private investment. A year and a half later, these plans have not been published, Mr Bartolo said.

It was not surprising, therefore, that tourism was facing a crisis, especially in an atmosphere where those responsible were not being held accountable, he said.