The government has done very little to improve the tourism product, particularly the cleanliness and upkeep of tourist areas, Labour Party spokesman on tourism, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca said yesterday.

The government could have acted to cushion the decline in tourism, which has been cited by the National Statistics Office as one of the main reasons why the gross domestic product declined by 3.3 per cent in the second quarter.

Ms Coleiro Preca said there were several areas on which the government had control but where little action had been taken.

Among them was the tourism product and price competitiveness, with utility tariffs having had a big impact on prices.

Moreover, the government had not taken the opportunity provided by the EU to cut VAT on restaurant services as competing destinations had done, she said.

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