22 - 28 June 2000

Hotel re-classification to start in September

by Franco Aloisio

A hotel and catering establishments classification and re-classification exercise will be carried out by the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) through a foreign consultancy company in mid September, chairman of MTA's Product Planning and Development Directorate Jeffrey Cutajar said.

The foreign company which will be carrying out this re-classification exercise, will be also making available its know-how to local officers who will be trained by the MTA to supervise the standards of such establishments. Details of the company which was chosen to carry out this exercise will be given next week.

Through the classification and re-classification exercise, the MTA will be rewriting the standards of hotels and catering establishments. The exercise is expected to be completed by October. A final report will be submitted by the end of the year. Follow-up inspections will be made in April 2000.

The last reclassification of hotels and restaurants was made three years ago by the Hotels and Catering Establishments Board.

Apart from setting the standards, the MTA will be enforcing them, as a result of the fact that the MTA is now an authority. An Enforcement Directorate is being set up, and is expected to start hotel and restaurants inspection by 2001. Hence, as from next year, licenses could be revoked.

Mr Cutajar said the ultimate aim of this exercise is not to demote or promote certain hotels or tourist establishments. However certain establishments will have to make changes in order to have honour their classification.

"All we want is to establish certain standards, in line with those in Europe. The MTA will be classifying existing hotels and will lay down the regulations for new tourist properties in the future," Mr Cutajar said.

The strategic plan of the MTA for the years 2000 till 2002, states the key programmes of the Product Planning and Development Directorate. The directorate will have to carry out an assessment of lower category tourist accommodation, while setting up standards, guidelines, classification and licensing exercises.