Malta's eco-contribution triples from 1 July 2026

From 1 July 2026, Malta's Environmental Contribution rises from €0.50 to €1.50 per person, per night. The cap per visit rises in proportion, from €5 to €22.50 per person. This is confirmed and in force as of tomorrow. The increase was legislated through the Budget Measures Implementation Act 2026 (Act III of 2026), enacted on 10 March 2026, which amends the Eco Contribution Act (Cap. 473). It is the first change to the rate since the levy was introduced in June 2016.

Who it applies to

The contribution applies to all guests aged 18 or over staying in licensed accommodation in Malta and Gozo. This includes hotels, guesthouses, apartments, farmhouses, villas, host families, and short term rentals booked through any channel.

What changes in practice

The contribution must still be itemised separately from the accommodation rate on the invoice or fiscal receipt. It remains outside VAT and outside any commission calculation. The Malta Tourism Authority remains the competent authority under the Eco Contribution Act, but certain operational functions, including onboarding, reconciliation, reporting, and remittance coordination, have been delegated to the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association. Accommodation providers and booking intermediaries may be directed to liaise with MHRA on these points going forward.

For hosts and property managers, the change means recalculating what is owed per booking from 1 July onward, including bookings made earlier at the old rate if the stay falls after the cutoff. For platforms, it means updating any tax logic tied to Malta listings. For tax authorities and municipalities elsewhere, it is a useful data point. Malta's increase tracks a broader European pattern of revising flat per night levies upward to fund tourism infrastructure, following similar moves in Spain, Italy, and Greece.

How Trippz handles this

Trippz maintains and automatically updates tourist tax rates across 60+ countries, including Malta. Properties already configured for Malta on Trippz will reflect the new €1.50 rate and €22.50 cap from 1 July without any manual adjustment needed on the host or platform side. As always, Trippz calculates and collects the contribution from guests and pays it out to the host, who remains responsible for forwarding it to the relevant authority.

Source and further reading

The rate change is confirmed by the Malta Tourism Authority and detailed in Trippz's Malta tourist tax guide, which will be updated to reflect the new rate.