A group of travel agencies have complained that one of their largest competitors was given an advantage at the annual Amitex Fair, which opened its doors to the public last night.

In a judicial protest filed against the organiser  the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre (MFCC)  the travel agencies complained that to reach their stands, potential customers had to go through a barrage of advertising material of a competitor, placing them at a disadvantage.

The protest was filed by Britannia Services Limited, Orange Travel Group Limited, Europa Tours Limited, Hamilton Travel Company Limited, Royal Travel Limited and Pawlu Testa Travel.

They discovered that the passageway leading to their stands was covered in publicity material belonging to ROCS Group

They complained that it was only on Wednesday, a few hours before the official opening, that they discovered that the passageway leading to their display stands was covered in publicity material belonging to ROCS Group.

They argued that this was placing ROCS Travel at an unfair advantage.

To make matters worse, potential clients had to pass under a large banner that read ‘ROCS Travel Holiday Show’, giving the impression that the fair was organised by their competitor.

The travel agents contended that this discrimination constituted a breach of the agreement they had signed with the organisers and that it created unfair competition.

They called on the organisers to take action to ensure a level playing field among all participating in the annual travel fair.

Lawyers Ramona Frendo and Roberta Buhagiar signed the protest.