Persistent traffic jams and incessant roadworks, especially around the airport, are having a negative impact on tourism, two leading figures in the industry said on Friday. Reports of slow-moving traffic all over the island and chaos caused by roadworks have been coming in thick and fast in recent days. In Sliema and on the roads around Valletta, two areas popular with both locals and tourists, drivers have been reporting traffic jams until late at night. Another traffic hotspot is the area around Malta International Airport, where works on the Kirkop tunnels project are still under way. This is compounded by an increase in passenger traffic during the summer season, with drivers in recent days complaining of traffic diversions, delays and long tailbacks throughout the day. “The tourist experience has to be upgraded all around. There is no doubt that the island can present itself better,” the head of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, Tony Zahra said. Example of bad planning He slammed the airport project as an example of bad planning that has resulted in widespread disruption and has had a direct impact on the tourism industry. “This should have been given priority,...