MHRA expresses frustration over Malta not making Uk’s green travel lis

Update: PN statement below – The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) has expressed its frustration on today’s decision that Malta was not placed on the UK government’s “green list” for travel.

The UK Government in fact, did not add any other countries to the list, and moreover Portugal, which was put on the green list three weeks ago, was relegated to amber.

In a statement, the MHRA asserted that “there is no apparent scientific and logical reason for such decision as Malta is excelling in its management of Covid-19 and has met all the criteria as laid down by the British government.”

It went on to say that “the British market represented 33 per cent of all tourist arrivals in 2019 and losing this market at one go will significantly affect the tourism industry.”

MHRA questioned whether the British government was “taking political decisions that undermine the decades old free movement of trade and services which are tantamount to protectionist measures rather than purely based on scientific basis.”

MHRA called on the EU to support further the hospitality industry and to ensure it defends one of the major freedoms of the Union.

Nationalist Party statement

The PN expressed its disappointment that no countries had been added to the UK’s green travel list.

It said that this will have “severe consequences on our tourism industry” and reiterated its offer of help to the government in diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation.

“Today’s decision actually means that Maltese and Gozitan tour operators will have now lost the month of June after a long months of suffering because of the pandemic,” it said.

The statement concluded by saying, “the appeal of the Nationalist Party is that the Government continues to support this industry during this period of uncertainty.”