‘Regulate massage parlours acting as brothels’

Massage parlours “more akin to brothels” that have mushroomed everywhere are giving legitimate businesses a bad name and should be regulated, the GRTU said.

Marcel Mizzi, vice president of the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises, GRTU, said the situation had gotten out of hand and was harming legitimate massage parlours that offered professional services.

“The truth is that most of these small parlours advertise massage but are truly places where clients go for extras; they are in many respects whorehouses,” he said.

This was creating problems for legitimate massage operators, who sometimes faced clients demanding sexual services, he added.

Asked whether the GRTU was in favour of legalising brothels, Mr Mizzi said some of these massage parlours were simply a guise for brothels.

“It is useless beating around the bush; if there is a demand for sexual services it should be regulated and in this way legitimate businesses would not be harmed.”

However, Mr Mizzi also raised concerns over the well-being of clients seeking massage services.

“While legitimate operators invest in their staff through training, clients may not know the difference and instead use the services of...