Editorial: Key experiment in sustainable tourism

In the last few summers, Comino’s Blue Lagoon was making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Once the postcard image of Maltese paradise, it became a chaotic mass of deckchairs, kiosks and too many tourists, so much so that a recent BBC story labelled it “hell on earth”.

That was a clear exaggeration, but it struck a nerve. And now, an important experiment seeks to address this problem. Or so we hope, since the boat operators have now taken their complaints to court.

Access to the Blue Lagoon is now being capped and ticketed. However, under the new proposal a maximum of 4,000 visitors will be allowed at any one time – down from an estimated 12,000 on some days last year. Bookings will be able to be made in advance online with visitors choosing between morning, afternoon or evening slots.

Commercial passenger boats have also been warned that they must first request clearance from the Maritime Enforcement Unit, and no passengers would be allowed to disembark without their QR code.

There comes a point when a destination becomes so loved it starts to break. That’s been the case at Blue Lagoon for years now, so something definitely had to change, and we must applaud the Tourism Ministry for doing something about it.

But, of course, the new system has sparked debate. Some say 4,000 visitors at a time is still far too high. Others worry that private boats will bypass the system or that enforcement will falter. There’s also concern that the same issues – overpriced deckchairs, monopolised beach space, unsightly kiosks – will persist despite the new limitations. And there is the fear that these restrictions, mainly intended for tourists, ultimately result in locals being capped out of their own country’s natural wonders.

Those are fair concerns. But we must not lose sight of the bigger picture.

This is Malta’s first real attempt at access management on such a large scale for a natural site, and it brings us closer to international best practices. World heritage sites like Machu Picchu in Peru and the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador have long used booking systems, caps, and staggered entry to preserve the sites for future generations.

These models have shown that capping numbers not only protects the site, it also improves the visitor experience. That in turn increases a destination’s value, reputation and sustain­ability. Everyone benefits.

Capping access to the Blue Lagoon may also encourage visitors to plan their trips differently. If peak slots are unavailable, tourists might travel in shoulder months or stay longer.

This is a golden opportunity to push for a more sustainable, year-round tourism model, one that doesn’t overload our infrastructure in July and August while leaving businesses idle in winter.

Of course, success is not guaranteed. This new system will require enforcement, which is not Malta’s strong point. There is also the risk of exclusion: when access becomes limited, the temptation grows to monetise it.

What begins as a necessary control mechanism could easily slide into a paywall for natural heritage, accessible only to those who can afford it. This must be resisted. Blue Lagoon belongs to the people.

If locals are priced out or pushed aside in favour of high-paying tourists, we would lose the soul of what we are trying to protect. Ultimately, this is a test. Not just for Comino, but for the way we treat the rest of Malta’s natural and cultural assets.

If the Blue Lagoon experiment works, it could become a model for the way we manage other high-traffic areas, like Ġnejna, Ramla, or even Mdina. If it fails, we risk confirming our suspicions about loopholes, clientelism and poor enforcement.