PRESS RELEASE BY THE OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TOURISM Deputy Prime Minister Borg meets with Valletta and Swieqi local councils

Localities invited to submit proposals for the new tourism community support pilot project

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Ian Borg, met with the local councils of Valletta and Swieqi on Wednesday afternoon, to invite them to submit proposals for the tourism community support pilot project launched last week.

Led by Mayor Olaf McKay, Valletta's delegation included councillor Ylenia Montfort (minority leader) and Executive Secretary Gabriella Agius. Swieqi Mayor Noel Muscat was accompanied by Deputy Mayor Jordan Galea Pace, councillor Miguel Balzan (minority leader) and Executive Secretary Clarissa Buhagiar.

The pilot project aims to support these localities in their efforts to harmonise tourism development with residents' wellbeing, focusing on issues like waste management, public order and the management of short let holiday accommodations and long-let properties.

During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister explained that preliminary consultations indicated that while certain issues can be addressed through national legislation, others need tailored, locality-specific solutions. In this regard, the pilot project will equip localities, particularly those in or near tourism zones, with targeted resources and administrative support to implement their preferred initiatives.

The mayors welcomed Dr Borg's invitation and committed to discussing the project with their respective councils. They agreed to define their localities' priorities for this project by next month. “Once these targets are set, we will support you to reach them – this will require shared responsibility and close collaboration across different entities," he said.

The Deputy Prime Minister also noted that he has already engaged with other relevant ministries, who pledged their support for the initiative.

“Valletta experiences a high footfall, with many workers and tourists visiting the Capital. I believe this pilot project can solve several issues, for example waste management, parking and accessibility. It is encouraging that the Deputy Prime Minister heeded our concerns and will be taking action. We look forward to addressing these issues," Valletta Mayor Olaf McKay said.

“Today, we started the journey to resolve the challenges that Swieqi is facing. I thank Dr Borg for this initiative. We have been raising these concerns for years, putting forward proposals, but failing to see them through. Meanwhile, tourism activity continues to grow, tourists in short-let accommodations, which cause certain issues for us, increase as well, and so do the related problems. We are now agreeing that these issues exist, as we identify their causes, and find solutions – I think that in this way, we can move forward," Swieqi Mayor Noel Muscat affirmed.