The number of tourists visiting Malta this year is expected to break another record. The less positive aspect of this reality is that our tourist hotspots will see pressure increasing on the local community.
Congestions in places like Paceville, Buġibba and Valletta are a headache for residents and tourists alike. Having to compete with the crowds for flat rentals, seats on a bus and space on pavements spoils the quality of life for city residents as much as it does the holiday experience for tourists.
Some efforts have been made to deal with the unique challenges that localities that are popular with tourists face. In 2016, the Malta Tourism Authority introduced a system of police officers in certain tourism hotspots.
The then tourism minister had hailed this innovative approach as “a success”, arguing that more officers were required to “keep the peace and fight crime” in tourist hotspots. This innovation fizzled out after only a year.
Guido Dalli, St Julian’s mayor, now floated the idea of hiving off the management of the Paceville area from his council’s responsibility. He argues, “In 15 to 20 years, Paceville will become a business area, not a residential one. Whoever is mayor at the time should consider whether or not it should remain part of St Julian’s or become its own hamlet.”
Hiving off Paceville from St Julian’s district will not eliminate the significant challenges this tourist hotspot presents to the authorities responsible for the well-being of tourists and locals.
If Paceville is designated as a distinct locality with its own council, it would still need an effective destination management strategy to balance the interests of residents, businesses and visitors. The same would apply to Buġibba and Valletta.
The government must introduce a destination management system for our more popular tourist hotspots. A destination can be anything, including a district, a neighbourhood, or a historic attraction. Destination management is a comprehensive process that includes the management of different aspects.
In Paceville’s case, a destination management process must include the local infrastructure, accommodation, amenities, events and activities, environmental concerns, maintenance of law and order, transportation, and tourist attractions.
Tourism authorities must no longer focus solely on the benefits of bringing more money to the country.
They must concentrate more on guaranteeing returns to the local community’s well-being. The business community must adopt the same mindset. Part of the profits from tourism must be ploughed back into projects that benefit the local community if tourism is to be planned on a sustainable trajectory.
Understandably, councils like those of St Julian’s and St Paul’s Bay feel overwhelmed by the formidable challenges they face due to parts of their locality being tourist hotspots. They do not have the human and financial resources to deal with these challenges. They may also lack the know-how to adopt destination management best practices to ensure the right balance between the tourist experience and the locals’ well-being.
The Malta Tourism Authority must go beyond promoting Malta as a tourist destination, especially now that the country’s capacity to take on more tourists has been exceeded.
Policymakers must invest more in defining a destination management strategy to ensure that our tourism hotspots like Paceville and Buġibba, our beaches, and our historic towns, like Mdina and Valletta, are not overwhelmed by crowds of visitors that disrupt the everyday life of the locals.
We must make tourism work for all.