Sustainable Tourism Law

LEGAL PROVISIONS PERTAINING TO SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 239 to abide by sustainable programmes designed to assist, including but not limited to, choosing the products and systems which render more sustainable results. IV. ECO CERTIFICATION In order to understand how the GSTC criteria serve their purpose, I have delved into the adoption of these sustainable principles by the Malta Tourism Author- ity 3 . However, these have not been enacted as legal regulations under the Malta Travel and Tourism Services Act 4 , since hotels or farmhouses may opt whether to be awarded the “Eco Certification”. Instead, the “Eco Certification” has developed into the Maltese national scheme for ensuring the environmental, socioeconomic and cultural sustainability in the accommodation sector. The Malta Tourism Authority launched the relative scheme in 2002. To date, 16% 5 of hotels (that is 22) have been eco certified and seven farmhouses in the sister island of Gozo have met all the criteria 6 thereof. The list includes: Corinthia St. George’s Bay, St. Julians (5 star), the Palace Hotel and Spa – Attard (5 star), The Palace – St. Julians (5 star), Kempinsky Hotel, Gozo, (5 Star), San Antonio Hotel and Spa – Qawra (4 star); Corinthia Marina Hotel (4 star) and Sunflower – Qawra (3 star). The Eco Certification provides for fifty-one mandatory criteria and thirty- -eight voluntary criteria, some of which shall be expanded hereunder. In order for a hotel to obtain the Eco Certification, all the mandatory criteria must be met, and 50% of the voluntary criteria have to be satisfied. The certification is valid for two years, and a hotel would need to re-apply for the certification at the cost of € 350 every two years. The process of becoming eco certified is carried out through a “Green Committee” under the auspices of the Malta Tourism Authority, composed of representatives from theMalta Environment and Planning Authority,Wasteserv 7 , the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association and the Federated Association of 3 The Malta Tourism Authority is established under the Malta Travel and Tourism Services Act (Chapter 409 of the Laws of Malta), and falls under the political portfolio of the Minister responsible for Tourism. 4 Chapter 409 of the Laws of Malta. 5 The list of hotels which are eco certified by the Malta Tourism Authority web-site as verified on 26 February 2018 – http://www.mta.com.mt/eco-hotels. 6 A logo with a green leaf is awarded to the hotels which have been certified. 7 A Maltese Government Entity which is responsible for waste management in Malta.