A review of the Malta travel and tourism services act 1999

Abstract

Over the last thirty years or so there has been a rapid increase in travel and tourism. More people are taking holidays, many are having several holidays a year, and travel abroad is becoming increasingly popular. There are three main reasons for this. The first is that most people are now better off than in the past and have more money available for luxuries such as holidays. Secondly, people have more leisure time and the length of their annual holidays has increased. Thirdly, places have become more accessible as transport improvements have made travel faster, easier, and cheaper. Unfortunately, legal literature on Maltese law in general is relatively scant. Few in number are those books which have been published on Maltese law, let alone the laws relating to travel and tourism. In the course of the research embarked on in preparation for this thesis, I came to realise that the field I have chosen to write about is indeed a wide and complex one. The fact that I had to delve into two sets of Bills and Parliamentary Debates is one clear illustration of such complexity. Nevertheless, the challenge presented by the convolution of this subject, has largely been a source of great satisfaction. A Review of the Malta Travel and Tourism Services Act 1999 aims to give an exhaustive analysis of this law by presenting a comprehensive exposition of its provisions. The overriding aim of this work is the provision of a comprehensive coverage of the main legislation regulating the travel and tourism industry in Malta which takes full account of developments and proposals. If one can make any global recommendation out of this thesis, it would be that some thought should be given to sending back the Malta Travel and Tourism Services Act 1999 to the legislator for an enhancement of its existing provisions and moreover to introduce other provisions which are deemed necessary in order to increase the I potentiality of this same piece oflegislation.