Editorial: Rediscovering what Malta does best

Malta Tourism Authority CEO Carlo Micallef recently said the emphasis in 2026 would be on spreading tourism demand more evenly across the calendar.

This approach is backed up by the new MTA website, launched last month, which offers a refreshing mix of information for visitors and professionals, with sections dedicated not only to sun and sea but also to food and intriguing ‘identity’ from the island’s 7,000 years of history.

Micallef made it clear that the MTA was not looking for “sheer numbers” but, rather, concentrating on “what we do best”.

For the past few years, there was a frenzied drive to reach three million arrivals and then four million...

So much money was spent on parties, festivals and events during the peak summer months, when the island is already creaking under the weight of visitors.

The preliminary report for 2025 says Malta saw 3.8 million arrivals: Is that cause for rejoicing or concern? At which point does the experience of each tourist drift into negative territory?

All too often the message is a dismal one: queues at Ċirkewwa; overcrowding in Valletta; inflated prices; bad behaviour in Paceville; leaking tax revenue from unregistered short-let properties; and dingy kiosks in Blue Lagoon. Why on earth would tourists want to come here? Surely, they see the same dubious criticism as we do?

The message that Malta needs to spread arrivals across the non-summer months is hardly new. For decades, we heard about the importance of promoting culture and identity, with some initiatives turning out to be far more effective than others.

However, there is another aspect that deserves to resurface over the usual morass of doom and gloom.

First of all, the statistics: the numbers for the first 10 months of the year do not – at least yet – spark concern.

The number of tourists went up by 12.4 per cent but even though they spend less time here – total nights only went up by 10.8 per cent – they spent 19.2 per cent more. The MTA has been given a budget for 2026 of €143 million, €3.3 million more than last year.

The intention is not for the authority to spend recklessly but to ensure that it has a more targeted approach with the concept of sustainability grounding each and every narrative.

Will Micallef be able to push his pragmatic agenda through in spite of ministerial U-turns on short lets, political manoeuvring on planning and construction and electoral promises on mass transport?

It depends on how much interference there is: numerous entities know what needs to be done and have spoken about their vision and their cautionary tales.

But it is not only about numbers and economic impact, housing affordability and labour shortages… Looking at the MTA website is a reminder to us all that these islands have so much to offer.

The website talks about the cuisine as “the definition of Mediterranean” and its identity as “simply brimming with natural beauty, fascinating culture and remarkable history”.

We can endlessly bemoan how our tourism product has been diluted, sacrificing authentic food and tradition along the way.

But what if we chose, instead, to see it anew? Imagine walking along cliff edges above sparkling seas, dining al fresco on (affordable) local food, and enjoying music that complements the moment rather than turning Valletta into an open-air nightclub.

The path forward is not complicated. It requires the courage to back and promote what is distinctly Maltese and to stop chasing the model of some of Europe’s (notorious) party capitals.