Tourism remains one of the most important motors of our economy, if not the most vital. Everything needs to be done to protect and promote this sector, from smart marketing to making sure our visitors get the experience promised through our advertising.
But we also need to take a close look at the sector, now that the tourist numbers have gone back to the pre-COVID era.
Though much has been written about the environmental impact of overtourism, the effect of bad tourist behaviour, mainly vandalism, is sometimes overlooked. When away from home, some people believe they can leave the rule book of common decency at home and act obnoxiously.
Anti-social tourist behaviour can take various forms, from ‘air-rage’ – airline passengers becoming belligerent when under the effect of alcohol – littering streets and beaches, defacing historical monuments, over drinking and various forms of vandalism.
While this is more common in destinations that are hubs of overtourism, the phenomenon is not limited to low-spending tourists.
Swieqi, an urban residential area, has become an extension of the Paceville tourism hub. Unfortunately, residents are increasingly experiencing the dark side of anti-social behaviour by tourists.
The anti-social behaviour reached the pits this week when a man wearing a T-shirt saying ‘Malta’s nightlife destination’ was filmed defecating on a pavement.
Another video on social media showed at least five young men, some appearing in an intoxicated state, targeting vehicles on two of Swieqi’s main roads.
Swieqi mayor Noel Muscat believes that the biggest issue behind the increase in vandalism is the increase in short-let apartments in the area.
While our tourism policymakers revel in the travel boom, the clamour of local voices is also increasing as the boom does not benefit everyone.
When locals blame tourists for bad behaviour, it is not about the tourists. It is a sign that the tourism management has failed.
If we are prepared to pump millions into marketing Malta as a destination, then we need to make sure we invest money and have enough resources to manage it to make sure that over-tourism is not disrupting the lives of residents.
If Malta continues looking like a building site with rubbish mounting everywhere, then sadly it will only encourage visitors who believe that rules do not apply here.
Alcohol restrictions, similar to those introduced in Ibiza and Magaluf, may also deter disorderly behaviour in tourist hotspots. Wardens empowered to fine litter louts on the spot will go a long way towards reducing the inconvenience of excess tourism. Tougher interventions also include tourism levies, as seen in Venice and Capri.
The proceeds of these taxes can help local councils employ tourism stewards to police the most popular tourist areas to ensure that those engaging in antisocial behaviour are penalised.
These levies can act as a break on the volume of tourists visiting but also deter those on a low budget. Of course, we do not want to make it only possible for wealthy people to enjoy the Malta experience.
Amsterdam even introduced a de-marketing strategy last year - the Stay Away campaign was aimed at discouraging young men and stag parties, which reduced the city to a party zone.
Tourism authorities must also aim to change the mindset of those they aim to attract to the country rather than continue to gauge success by increasing the number of visitors. Visiting a place means you are a guest in someone else’s home and should interact with people of different backgrounds respectfully.
By not managing the impact of tourism correctly, our policymakers are actually killing Malta as a destination. If tourism does not become sustainable, we will not have any product to sell in the end.