Tourists visiting Malta will face significantly higher accommodation charges from 2027, with the government’s eco-contribution increasing from €1.50 to €8 per person per night.Finance Minister Clyde Caruana announced the increase during the Budget 2027 speech, with the new charge applying to tourists aged 18 and over.The €8 nightly charge will be capped at €64 per person per stay for tourists staying in hotels and other forms of collective accommodation.Meanwhile, tourists staying in short-term rentals, including Airbnb-style accommodation, will pay €10 per person per night, capped at €80 per person per stay.The government expects the revised accommodation eco-contribution to generate approximately €182 million annually. That estimate relates to accommodation charges, rather than the combined revenue from all the new tourism measures.Caruana linked the increase to the need to invest in tourism infrastructure and the fact that visitors benefit, directly or indirectly, from subsidised energy prices.He said Malta was on course to exceed 4.5 million tourists this year, accounting for around 28 million nights, with both figures expected to increase again in 2027.An exemption from the accommodation eco-contribution was also announced for English-language schools.However, accommodation is not the only area where tourists will face additional charges.Cruise passengers who disembark in Malta and then reboard the same ship will be charged €10 each, while tourists visiting Comino will pay a €5 contribution.Passengers starting their cruise from Malta will be exempt from the cruise charge. The Comino contribution will be collected through the existing visitor-booking system, introduced alongside limits on access to the Blue Lagoon.Tourists using fast-ferry services will also face an additional €3 charge per crossing.Separately, Gozo Channel fares for non-residents will rise to €11 for adults, €7 for children and €22 for a vehicle including its driver.The measures form part of the government’s wider strategy to increase tourism revenue while addressing the pressures the sector places on Malta’s infrastructure and quality of life.For a couple staying in a hotel for seven nights, the new eco-contribution would amount to €112, compared to €21 under the current €1.50 rate.Do you agree with increasing the eco-contribution for tourists visiting Malta?•