Tourism Law in Europe

10 (f) because a person has failed to provide the appropriate insurance in line with the law or contributes to the insolvency fund. As the Malta Tourism Authority contemplates fines and imprisonment, any breaches against the Act become criminal offences. 6. Conclusion In light what was described above, it is rather complex to write about Maltese Tourism Law without also mentioning various other laws which also seem to hinge on to the tourism perspective. Moreover, as time devolves, the Tourism Industry also evolves, and hence the insertion of new Subsidiary Legislation, which have not all been included in this paper. However, one could appreciate that, for example, sustainability was not calculated much when the Malta Travel and Tourism Services Act was enacted, however, this has now become a great concern, and hence the Eco Certification was introduced. Hence, the Malta Tourism Authority has created incentives to entice older hotels and other accommodation providers to become eco-certified, whereas new hotels and other accommodation establishments must be eco certified within 6 months of the issue of the licence. Another aspect which is not found under Tourism Law but under the Value-Added Act is the eco-contribution for each night that a tourist stays in Malta. The Malta Tourism Authority website explains that the Environmental Contribution is to improve quality along the tourism chain and that “ all revenue generated from this initiative will be directed solely and exclusively to upgrade and embellish the local infrastructure in touristic areas around the Maltese islands 10 . ” The contribution amounts to 0.50 € per person for each night spent on the Maltese Islands at any type of accommodation including hotels, guesthouses, hostels, resorts, apartments, farmhouses, timeshare and host families amongst others. The contribution is capped at a maximum of 5.00 € for each continuous stay. All monies collected are forwarded to the Commissioner of Value Added Tax. 10 Source : http://www.mta.com.mt/environmentalcontribution.