More than a quarter of tourists visiting Malta in the summer last year described the country’s cleanliness as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’, according to a survey.
Data from the Malta Tourism Authority’s Traveller Survey showed 29.3% of tourists gave the country a dismal rating during peak season.
Cleanliness levels improved in the winter months with “poor” or “very poor” ratings going down to 13.4% from January to March.
The usually unpublished feedback was included in a study by MTA’s Research Unit manager Mariella Attard and was released as part of the Malta National Tourism Conference this week.
“This clearly indicates that achieving a more acceptable level of cleanliness is of utmost importance to secure higher levels of tourist satisfaction,” Attard said.
Concerns about trash typically increase during summer as the weather gets warmer and an increase in population sees more black bin bags left in the street.
Mayors of popular tourist towns such as Sliema and St Julian’s have been particularly vocal about the impact.
The data, published in the Malta Tourism Insights document, also shows how satisfied tourists are with their stay.
While a larger share of tourists visit Malta in the summer months, those who visit in autumn are more satisfied with their experience.
Some 30.6% of those surveyed between October to December said their expectations were exceeded while that dropped to 26% for those who took their holiday during summer.
This clearly indicates that achieving a more acceptable level of cleanliness is of utmost importance to secure higher levels of tourist satisfaction
Despite the concerns about cleanliness, Malta’s tourism numbers are increasing and most people who visit the country want to come back.
Some 2.28 million tourists visited Malta in 2022 and, this year, the tourism sector is expected to reach 2.77 million, exceeding Malta’s 2019 levels. Speaking during the conference, Prime Minister Robert Abela boasted that Malta was “overperforming” in terms of tourism numbers.
According to the surveys, tourists staying in Gozo have a better overall experience. Almost 87% said they would revisit Gozo, compared to 72% who said they would return to Malta.
The survey also showed how different nationalities have different opinions of their stay.
Tourists from the UK, Belgium, Nordic countries and Hungary had the most favourable overall experience in Malta.
British visitors were particularly satisfied with the hospitality of the locals, accommodation, historical sites and churches and public transport, Attard said.
On the other hand, tourists from Spain were less impressed.
Research shows that 14.3% described their overall experience in Malta as below expectations, the highest share of Malta’s main source markets.
Attard said Spanish tourists show lower satisfaction in terms of sandy beach offers, road infrastructure, public transport, restaurants and accommodation.
Polish visitors are the most likely to recommend Malta to friends and relatives (96%) and also reported satisfaction with hospitality, churches and archaeological sites.
“This presents a high potential for Malta, given that Poland is a newly emerging source market that has been characterised by remarkable growth in recent years,” Attard wrote.
The Malta National Tourism Conference was organised by the Malta Tourism Observatory, the body responsible for overseeing the implementation of national tourism targets.