The Ministry of Tourism is the central government regulatory authority that formulates the country’s tourism policy. The Ministry is responsible for introducing legislative reforms in the tourism sector, planning tourism development and cooperating with other ministries in order to coordinate national policies which have an impact on the tourism sector. The Ministry’s main competences consist in:

The Ministry for Regional Development is responsible for co-ordinating and setting guidelines in the field of tourism. The Tourism Department carries out activities related to the development and implementation of the tourism policy, implements measures arising from tourism related strategies, and undertakes activities to enhance awareness and recognition of tourism as an important industry of the national economy and to strengthen international co-operation.

Government responsibility for tourism is located in the Ministry for National Economy. The Ministry oversees the national economic development including external and internal trade, the national budget and taxation, the employment policy, and the international economic relations.

National Organisation

As part of a general public administration reform, all centrally-organised tourism bodies where merged in 2007, into a single body, Turismo de Portugal I.P., the National Tourism Authority (NTA).

Under the aegis of the Secretary of State for Tourism and the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, the NTA (Turismo de Portugal I.P.) is responsible for the promotion, valorisation and sustainability of tourism activities, under a specific umbrella approach, namely:

Since 1 November 2010 responsibility for tourism has rested with the Ministry of Transport, Construction and Regional Development of the Slovak Republic.

The Tourism Section of the Ministry is divided into two departments – the Tourism Strategy and Policy Department and the Tourism Co-operation and Co-ordination Department with responsibilities including:

La Direction générale de la compétitivité, de l’industrie et des services (DGCIS) a été créée en 2009 par fusion de la Direction générale des entreprises (DGE), la direction du commerce, de l’artisanat, des services et des professions libérales (DCASPL) et la direction du tourisme. Le tourisme, qui était préalablement rattaché au ministère chargé de l’équipement, relève donc à présent des ministères chargés des questions économiques et financières, signe de sa reconnaissance comme secteur économique majeur.

As of March 2013, the tourism portfolio falls under the direct responsibility of the Minister for Tourism. This Ministry is responsible for the formulation of tourism policy, for driving and monitoring its implementation at a national level. The Ministry is also responsible for the Aviation.

The Malta Tourism Authority’s (MTA) responsibilities range from marketing Malta as a tourist destination; tourism product planning and development; development of human resources; and ensuring that standards are adhered to through legal enforcement.

 MTA seeks to:

The Tourism Division forms part of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and advises Government on national tourism policy. It provides the strategic direction required to support the growth of a competitive and sustainable tourism industry, through the development, implementation and influencing of a range of policy actions and programmes by the Department, its Agencies and other Government Departments, in consultation with industry partners. The tourism agencies, operating under the aegis of the Department, have been established to deal with the administration of that policy.

The responsible ministry for tourism policy is the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. It is responsible for defining the priorities of tourism policy, for the general development of tourism, and the coordination of support measures for tourism. It is also responsible for preparing legislation on tourism and maintaining international relations in the tourism sector.

The Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism is the department within the Spanish general administration responsible for proposing and carrying out government policy in the areas of industrial development and innovation, trade policy, small and medium sized enterprises, energy and mining, tourism, telecommunications, audiovisual media and the development of the Information Society. Additionally, the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism is also responsible for submitting to the government the proposal for Spain's positioning on issues that fall within the scope of the department.