Malta doubles its tourism intake over a span of 10 years

The Malta Tourism Authority announced a substantial jump in the number of tourists from 1.33 million in 2010 to 2.75 million in 2019, meaning that over this ten-year period, Malta has doubled its tourism intake.

This is reflected in the number of overnight stays where the number increased by 4 per cent over 2018 to reach 19.3 million nights. This means that the country has an average daily tourist population of 53,000 over and above residents and other nontourist visitors. Tourism expenditure has also increased impressively by circa €110 million on the previous year.

Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli spoke on Wednesday afternoon at the Malta Tourism Authority’s (MTA) 2019 End of Year Results business event.

“I can see the passion and energy all stakeholders put into their work to bring Malta to the top, and their desire can be seen in the record results,” Farrugia Portelli said. She added that there has been a rapid growth in the tourism sector and that the MTA can strive for more growth and achievements.

“Looking ahead, my priorities, despite the challenges we are facing, such as the Corona virus, which is the current number one threat, Malta shall continue to move forward,” expressed Farrugia Portelli.

She said that soon the MTA will be launching a consultation on the new chapter in Malta’s tourism policy for 2025. “The first draft of the policy looks into the principle of sustainable tourism, which we must focus on quality and sustainability as these two go hand in hand,” Farrugia Portelli expressed. She added that she wishes to work alongside stakeholders and to continue strengthening the work relationships and dialogue.

“This is an opportunity to discuss, share our ideas and ambitions, and I look forward to this process,” remarked the Minister. She highlighted that the ministry and the MTA are looking into a slower but more sustained tourism growth over the next few years.

Farrugia Portelli observed that it is important to “go back to our roots. The service we provide to our guests is the expected high standard.”

Gavin Gulia, chairman of the MTA said that connectivity within the tourist industry is the most important element. He reflected back to 2006, which he described as a “watershed year” for the industry back when there was a big debate about whether to introduce low-cost carriers in Malta. “After a while we began to see the contribution that low cost carriers, such as Ryanair, added to the island. We were stuck in a rut, but since the low cost carriers arrived in Malta, the growth has been phenomenal.”

He said that in 2019, Malta had no national event or showcase, but still managed to boost visibility. “We had CHOGM, the European Presidency and Valletta 2018, which all boosted visibility for Malta, so when 2019 came along, we were uncertain as we had no planned national event, but we succeeded once again.” He claimed that the success is due to the synergy of all the stakeholders working together.

Leslie Vella, the MTA’s Deputy CEO, said that over the past decade tourism in Malta has doubled in volume, especially concerning younger travellers visiting Malta, as more events attracting younger age groups have increased. He added that there has been further growth in the rate of tourists visiting during offpeak seasons. There has also been a decrease in the average length of stay. He said that Malta is now following international trends when it comes to accommodation usage, with an increase in collective accommodation. When speaking regarding tourism expenditure, Vella highlighted that there is now a more diverse spread of expenditure.

Vella remarked that in the years to come, the MTA must continue to build on its achievements but also to address bottlenecks and shortcomings to ensure a more heightened tourism experience.

“The vast majority of tourists are very happy and pleased with their stay in Malta but they do list a number of concerns which we need to address,” said Vella. He explained that the MTA must look into sustaining growth through a more rigorous process aimed at targeting Malta’s ideal tourism mix. Malta has the luxury to choose what type of tourism to promote and which is sustainable. It is important to ensure quality at all levels of MTA’s products and services, he added.