Considerations about overtourism in Europe’s hottest locations have resurfaced as holidaymakers put together for his or her holidays with the height summer time vacation season simply weeks away.
Nations corresponding to Portugal and Spain have dominated headlines relating to overtourism in recent times due to high-profile protests, with governments introducing measures round short-term keep and cruise passenger numbers to ease strain on in style areas from giant influxes of international vacationers.
Is Malta now struggling the same destiny? In keeping with the Instances of Malta, the jury has not reached a conclusion within the case.
From 2020 to 2025, the variety of guests to this island nation continued to extend year-on-year, with the quickest improve of 13.2% over the previous 5 years occurring from 2024 to 2025, together with in a single day cruise passengers.
Malta Tourism recorded over 4 million inbound vacationers from January to December 2025, with the UK, Italy and Portugal rating as the highest three main markets. Greater than 3 million of those have been first-time guests to the island, and 93.1% have been touring for trip.
The common size of keep was 6.3 nights, and annual tourism expenditure reached 3.9 billion euros.
A Instances of Malta ballot performed by Maltese market analysis agency Esprimi discovered that 51% of respondents mentioned this determine was “about proper”, whereas 45% mentioned the variety of arrivals was “extreme”.
Nonetheless, this sentiment was not fully equal throughout the island, which ranked sixth among the many high 30 international locations receiving essentially the most vacationers per sq. kilometer in 2024.
Considerations in regards to the variety of arrivals have been notably heightened in areas near main vacationer locations corresponding to St Paul’s Bay, Melliea and Gozo, with as many as 59% of pollsters saying the variety of arrivals was too excessive. Nonetheless, the alternative was seen in Marsascala, Marsaxlokk and Biržebža, the place native residents have been much less involved in regards to the variety of vacationers at 27%.
Euronews Journey has contacted the Malta Tourism Board for remark.
Malta’s most visited island
In keeping with the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics, greater than 2.3 million vacationers will go to Gozo and Comino in 2025, a staggering 57% of all guests to Malta in that 12 months.
The quaint island of Gozo, an alternative choice to mainland Malta, is only a 45-minute ferry experience from the capital Valletta and attracts vacationers on the lookout for a leisurely getaway, scenic strolling routes and a glimpse of previous Malta.
Causes to go to the island embrace its extremely acclaimed delicacies, with 5 eating places serving contemporary seafood, modern Italian and Mediterranean delicacies, all licensed in collaboration with the Michelin Information.
Comino, however, provides a variety of actions each on land and at sea. This small island is house to 12 well-known diving spots, swimming areas, and historic buildings which can be open to the general public, together with a Seventeenth-century tower constructed by the Knights of St. John, who have been tasked with offering shelter and take care of pilgrims on their method to Jerusalem.
Comino can be well-known for its Blue Lagoon, a shallow bay with crystal-blue water and white sand seashores. Entry to Malta’s Oasis requires advance reserving by the ‘E book, Defend, Get pleasure from’ system, led by Tourism Malta in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, as a part of efforts to cease overcrowding and defend the lagoon’s ecosystem and setting.
Vacationers sometimes island-hop from Gozo to Comino, or take a 15-20 minute ferry or bus experience from the capital Valletta to Sliema. There are a number of operators in Sliema that provide direct boat connections to Comino. Attending to the island from Valletta prices between 30 and 90 euros per individual.
