No plan to turn north into entertainment hub

The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) yesterday said it has no policy to turn the north of the island into an entertainment hub.

"The authority is conscious of the environmental importance and scenic value of the north and is committed to enhance and embellish the region's product and product offer, especially St Paul's Bay," it said.

The MTA was reacting to criticism over its policy in assessing tourism projects and the issuance of Tourism Policy Compliance Certificates (TPCCs).

It said that the procedures used in assessing tourism projects and the issue of TPCCs involve not only a technical and tourism-oriented review of applications but also a scrutiny of each application to see how they conform to the main objectives of the tourism policy.

Further analysis is then carried out by the recently set-up Tourism and Sustainable Development Unit within the Office of the Prime Minister.

Conscious of the importance of the promotion of a sustainable tourism policy which respects the environment, the MTA has undertaken a number of initiatives to this end, such as the eco-friendly certification for hotels and co-funding schemes for landscaping and environmental upgrading projects for local councils.