Sliema and Swieqi crackdown on disruptive tourists

Two separate incidents of disruptive tourist behaviour in Sliema and neighbouring Swieqi, occurring within days of each other, have prompted enforcement action and renewed concern about the impact of short-term rentals on residential communities. Bottles thrown. Balconies weaponised.

In Swieqi, footage showed bottles being thrown from balconies onto parked cars below. Police handed 12 young tourists penalties for violating public order rules and improperly handling waste, with fines totalling €2,000 and distributed 17 additional on-the-spot citations across the weekend. The Malta Tourism Authority then inspected the block and found eight of the nine apartments operating in breach of their licence conditions.

It ordered tourists to vacate and served an Enforcement Notice requiring the entire property to close until it meets legal and regulatory requirements. Swieqi Deputy Mayor Jordan Galea Pace said that unsustainable tourism is taking an increasing toll on residents' quality of life. In Sliema, a group of Italian tourists staying at an apartment face allegations of persistently disturbing neighbours through spitting from their balcony and hurling objects, including toilet paper, at nearby units.

Videos show the tourists leaning over the balcony and throwing items toward neighbouring apartments. Whether the incident has been reported to police or to the accommodation provider is unclear. The Malta Tourism Authority inspected the Swieqi block and found eight of nine apartments breaching licence conditions, then served the Enforcement Notice requiring closure until the property complies with legal and regulatory requirements.

The Sliema incident has not been confirmed as reported to any authority or accommodation provider.