Blue Lagoon's busiest day saw 68% fewer visitors than last year's peak, MTA says

The busiest day at Comino's Blue Lagoon this summer saw 68% fewer visitors than the peak day last year, the MTA claimed on Monday as it highlighted a new visitor capping system introduced this year.

The Malta Tourism Authority said the Blue Lagoon never reached its maximum cap of 4,000 concurrent visitors this summer, with the peak being reached on the afternoon of August 22, with 3,830 visitors. It said that by contrast, in the summer of 2024 the scenic swimming spot hosted as many as 12,000 people at the same time.

Back in May, the government introduced a new booking system that seeks to limit the number of visitors at the Blue Lagoon to a maximum of 4,000 at any one time. 

Visitors could book one of three daily time slots: 8am to 1pm, 1.30pm to 5.30pm and 6pm to 10pm. The booking system instantly generates a unique QR code to be presented to officials at the site’s coastal and land access points.

According to the MTA press release, an average of 1,979 people visited the Blue Lagoon in each time slot. Only 34 out of the 189 available time slots in July and August registered more than 3,000 visitors, the MTA said.  

"The 1,979 average number of visitors per time slot registered in July and August demonstrates that the booking system is successfully distributing the flow of visitors throughout the day, avoiding the much higher concentrations previously experienced at certain peak hours," the MTA said.

The booking system was introduced as one of several measures to augment environmental sustainability at the Blue Lagoon, a Natura 2000 site and enhance visitor experience. 

Plans for capping visitor numbers at the Blue Lagoon were first revealed by Foreign and Tourism Minister Ian Borg in an interview with Times of Malta last February, after the island suffered from years of overcrowding. 

Apart from the introduction of the new booking system, the Blue Lagoon swimming zone was extended, and additional cleansing and waste management resources, with over 12 cleaners assigned daily to empty bins, collect litter and maintain the site's showers and toilets. 

Maritime operations have also been reorganised, with a new capitainerie managed by Transport Malta officers overseeing the arrival and departure of vessels to the existing landing sites.

The government also strengthened the on-site safety and security with a new patrol team, more lifeguards, as well as police officers, and emergency personnel.

Although the MTA lauded the changes, activists have argued that large tourist boats dumping thousands of tourists at the Blue Lagoon are wreaking havoc on Comino and its fragile ecosystems.

Commenting on these results, Malta Tourism Authority CEO Carlo Micallef said:

“By controlling peak visitor numbers and spreading flows, the booking system is helping us embark on a journey to protect the Blue Lagoon and give visitors a better experience. These improvements underline the effectiveness of the measures taken so far, and the determination of Team Blue Lagoon and of our partner entities to continue working in the direction we have undertaken.”

On his end, Deputy Prime Minister and Tourism Minister Ian Borg said the results of the new booking system are the first steps towards long-term and sustained rehabilitation. 

"We will continue analysing the data and the next potential steps. The Blue Lagoon is a very small site, placing physical limitations on the level of activity it can host, particularly on land. Consequently, its popularity means that it is always bound to be very busy at peak hours," he said.