TMID Editorial: A million more tourists

Tourism numbers will need to rise by more than one million visitors over the 2023 levels for the same occupancy levels to be retained, a Deloitte survey commissioned by the Malta Hotels and Restaurants showed Friday.That is no small amount. Tourism n

By: independent.com.mt

Nov 19 2024
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TMID Editorial: A million more

That is no small amount. Tourism numbers in the country are already high, especially when coupled with the population numbers.

With 2023 statistics showing that nearly three million tourists visited Malta, this means that the country would need four million tourists.

This in itself is an issue. Take the summer months for example, which is the most popular time for tourists to come to Malta given that a major selling point for the island is its climate. The impact of such heavy tourism numbers during the summer period is there for all to see, from overly packed beaches, to Blue Lagoon being too over crowded, to garbage left on pavements on wrong days due to Airbnbs and lax regulations, the list goes on.

Tourism is and will always be one of the country’s main economic pillars, and it should be. After all, the country has some beautiful beaches, although they cannot be enjoyed to the full if there’s barely any space for someone to lay down a towel. We have some of the most beautiful historic sights in Europe, from Ghar Dalam to the temples to St John’s Co-Cathedral, and this is not even mentioning our walled cities.

But we cannot just continue to increase the number of tourists coming to the island. First of all, people on holiday don’t want to visit a picturesque area like Blue Lagoon only to be disappointed due to the sheer volume of people there. People want some space when lying down on a beach. People don’t want to feel like the area is overcrowded. And here is the problem. Malta does feel like that.

The discussion lately has been focused on shifting towards higher quality tourists, and that is where the country should be aiming. Tourists willing to spend more will mean that the country could rely on fewer numbers. But higher spending tourists would not want to visit Malta if all the attractions are overcrowded, they have other options. This means that in order to achieve such an aim, a shift needs to start happening.

Even with a better spread of tourists onto the off-peak seasons so to speak, increasing the number of tourists by a million to fill bed space would be too much and would just result in overcrowding of other attractions. We need to be realistic. While tourism is important, so is the quality of life of the people living in the country.

In summer tables and chairs suddenly explode onto pavements with lax enforcement, something that needs to be remedied. Blue Lagoon needs better protection, perhaps a limit on visitors should be imposed, thereby meaning that people going there would enjoy it more. The takeup of beach space by umbrella operators needs to be better monitored. The country cannot just keep on increasing numbers.

The infrastructure is already struggling with the tourist and population numbers we had this year. Take the traffic problems we have as an example, and the power cuts we had in summer due to an insufficient distribution network as another. Yes works are being done, but the country has already reached saturation point.