Guesthouses on the Maltese Islands will have the opportunity to receive assistance to become more efficient in the water and energy consumption of their operations.

Minister for the Environment, Energy, and Enterprise, Miriam Dalli, announced this Energy and Water Agency (EWA) initiative on Tuesday morning.

The GUEST initiative – Guesthouse Owners and Users Embarking on a Sustainable Transition – focuses on small hotels such as boutique hotels and guesthouses, whose composition calls for a different approach to that of larger accommodation establishments.

It was explained that through this initiative, the agency will offer energy and water audits to these guesthouses, along with recommendations to become more sustainable.

Therefore, EWA is providing technical assistance to these guesthouses, which often do not have the necessary in-house expertise in this regard.

The scheme is based on the recommendations proposed during consultation meetings with the operators of these small hotels.

The Minister said that during these consultations, it became clear that even though there is a will to reduce energy and water consumption, efforts in this direction are often thwarted by the actions of guests staying in these establishments, who do not always know how to adopt sustainable practices during their stay.

Therefore, the agency will be giving welcome packs to guests of these small hotels with items that can be used during their stay, including messages on how to use energy and water efficiently. This will also serve as a reminder that everyone, even hotel guests, has a role to play in efforts towards sustainability.

EWA CEO Manuel Sapiano said that this free scheme is not only giving technical advice to the operators of these small hotels but is also working to gradually create a culture change for hotel guests, as they have a substantial impact on the energy and water consumption of these businesses.

More information about GUEST and how small hotels can apply for this initiative is available by clicking here.

Photo: DOI/Pierre Sammut

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