New York tabloid highlights Malta as Europe's 'most overcrowded island'
The New York Post report comes just weeks after Malta's new direct link to New York was launched
Malta has been named Europe’s “most overcrowded island” by a wellness industry report cited in the New York Post.
The report by BookRetreats.com, which describes itself as “the world’s number one retreat site”, draws on European Commission data looking at overnight stays in tourist accommodation per square kilometre, which it used as a measurement of tourism density across European islands.
Malta topped the list with more than 38,700 overnight stays per square kilometre, almost 80 per cent higher than the second-place Spanish island of Lanzarote, which registered almost 21,700.
The report notes that while Mallorca attracted the highest numbers of tourists overall, “no island concentrates tourism quite like Malta”.
The spotlight comes just weeks after Delta Airlines launched direct flights between Malta and New York.
While Malta is “small enough to fit into London five times over”, its high number of overnight stays per square kilometre puts it at the top of the list, with Brits the dominant tourist nationality, the report said.
It noted that the impact of overtourism was “most visible at peak sites” such as Comino’s Blue Lagoon. “The question is no longer whether Malta can attract tourists, but whether it can do so without losing what makes this island so special”.
Reporting on the findings, US outlet the New York Post described Malta as a “crammed, jammed vacation destination”. It also featuring the ‘Overtouristed Malta’ Instagram account, which campaigns against unsustainable tourism.
The US is steadily becoming an increasingly important tourism market as authorities work to attract high-quality – high-spending – tourists, in particular in the shoulder seasons.
Last month saw the first direct flight from New York touch down in Malta. The first direct flight from New York to Malta touched down last month. The “very well-booked" flight was described by Malta International Airport CEO Alan Borg as a “significant step forward in strengthening Malta’s connectivity with a market that aligns strongly with the country’s strategy of attracting high-quality tourism”.
Tourism Minister Jo Etienne Abela told Parliament on Monday that the 4,000-person cap on visitors to Comino could be revised if the need arises.
During the same sitting, Abela said Malta now saw more than four million tourists per year. “Now that we have this abundance of tourists, we are no longer beggars. It is time to consider, push and implement quality,” he said.
The New York Post is the third-largest newspaper by print circulation in the US but is often criticised for sensationalism.