Malta's dilemma of whether it should attract quality tourists or continue going for quantity.

What is it about?

Since the 1980s, Maltese governments and tourism industry leaders have repeatedly talked about the need for “quality tourism”. This idea became even more prominent from the late 1990s onwards. This chapter looks at how Malta’s tourism sector has developed, especially in relation to the long-discussed shift from mass tourism to a higher-quality model. The analysis shows that Malta has struggled to make this change. As a result, the country has reached record levels of overtourism during the post-Covid-19 recovery period. This has caused growing frustration among environmental groups and local communities, who feel increasingly ignored and overwhelmed. Evidence from academic literature and reports in major Maltese newspapers (1980–2024) indicates that the main reason for this failure is the lack of political willingness to prioritise long-term, sustainable quality tourism over quick economic gains. According to these sources, certain business interests have strongly influenced policy choices, preventing meaningful reform.

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Photo by Chris Leipelt on Unsplash

Photo by Chris Leipelt on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This is one of the few academic studies from Malta that discusses the dilemma faced by the country's political and tourism industry leaders: how to respond to the call for a more sustainable approach towards incoming tourism, especially from local communities and non-governmental environmental organisations.

Perspectives