Drive to help hotels cut energy use

A survey will be carried out to gauge how much power three- and four-star hotels consume and steer them towards more environment-friendly operations.

The survey, which will start immediately, will look into hotels' practices and facilities and test their energy levels, explained Tourism Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco.

Once the survey is completed, hotels can apply for an energy audit control offered by Malta Enterprise, which, among other things, will give more detailed information about energy-saving measures.

The survey and audit were just the first steps towards identifying possible solutions for hotels to reduce consumption, Dr de Marco said. Hotels that wanted to implement the energy-saving measures could then apply for up to 50 per cent of co-financing from EU funds.

The scheme formed part of the national tourism plan, which called for a greener economy and a more environmentally-responsible sector.

Cleaner energy led to sustainable tourism which, in the long term, was important for the market's competitiveness, he said.