The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association intends proposing a national conference to discuss the impact of hunting on the Maltese economy and the tourism sector.

MHRA president Tony Zahra said that while it respected that hunting was allowed at certain times of the year, there was an “economic implication” that hunting might have on the tourism industry.

He argued that Malta was a small island and what made the rounds on the social media could give Malta bad publicity.

The association has recently called for zero-tolerance on illegal hunting and expressed concern on the impact repeated reporting of illegal hunting could have on the domestic tourism industry.

“Malta needs to be smart to ensure that everyone is a winner and that there are no losers,” he said.