A new €56 million campus for the Institute of Tourism Studies will be built at Smart City, replacing the current premises in Pembroke.
“The new ITS will serve the needs of Maltese students and industry employees, and will help attract foreign students to study tourism and hospitality in our country,” Prof. Scicluna said.
He said the relocation would provide students with a better service and greater opportunities.
The government will be putting out a call for offers for the institute’s current premises, to be used for a project “to complement the locality”. The site is adjacent to the planned six-star development being undertaken by Corinthia.
The possibility of strategic partnerships for ITS with international institutions in the sector is also being explored.
Moreover, as of the next scholastic year, ITS students will for the first time receive a grant of €233 to help them purchase academic materials.
The government also announced the introduction of a mandatory environmental contribution of 50c per night for all tourists visiting Malta. The tax will be introduced in April and will be capped at €5 per visit. Those under 18 will be exempt.
The funds generated from the tax, expected to be around €6 million, will be used by the Foundation for Tourism Zone Development to upgrade and maintain key public spaces around the island. The government will also make an additional contribution to the fund.
The structure of the foundation, meanwhile, is set to be changed, and will comprise a public-private partnership with the participation of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association.
Following strong calls from the MHRA in recent months, the government also announced it was looking into a new system to incentivise hotels to invest in measures to improve their energy efficiency.
The planned scheme will consist of a system of “white certificates” issued for energy saved by new investments undertaken by hotels. The certificates will then be redeemed by the hotel for grants or other financial incentives.
If the scheme proves successful, it could eventually be extended to other commercial establishment, such as restaurants.