Foreign students who take up accommodation in local host families should be exempt from the new bed tax, the Chamber of Commerce said today.

Chamber president Anton Borg told a press conference that although he and his members agreed with the new 50c-per-night eco-contribution, they still had reservations over its “hasty implementation”.

The Chamber met with Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis yesterday to discuss its proposals to ease the introduction of the financial contribution, due to come into force next month.

Announced in the last Budget, the contribution is expected to generate some €6 million a year which will be pumped back into the sector.

Besides exempting foreign language students living with host families from ever having to pay the fee, the chamber is also calling on package tourists, which make up some 45 per cent of local arrivals, to be exempted until the end of this summer period, provided they had booked their holiday before May.

“Package tourists would have paid a year or more in advance for their holiday. We cannot impose this added charge on them. It’s a perception issue,” Mr Borg said, flanked by representatives of several tourism-based organisations.

As for foreign language students who do not stay in host families, Mr Borg said these should also be exempt for this first summer season.

The Chamber is arguing that not only was the fee, capped at €5 per visiting tourist, being sprung upon tourists who had already agreed on a set price. It was also too soon for smaller hotels to manage its introduction.

This was also a burden on host families, who would have to provide multiple reports annually, which the Chamber fears would put people off offering the service.

Ultimately, Mr Borg said the chamber and its members had not been adequately consulted, as Dr Zammit Lewis had only discussed the matter with them after it was flagged some three weeks ago.

“This is moving too fast, the legal notice hasn’t even been published yet,” he said.