Updated at 12.25 pm with Gozo Tourism Association comments
A new visitor online booking system to visit Comino’s Blue Lagoon, launched just two days ago, has been suspended due to a court decision sparked by boat operators.
In a statement on Saturday, the Malta Tourism Authority said the Team Blue Lagoon will temporarily put the system on hold until further notice after boat operators filed a warrant of prohibitory injunction on Friday against the system.
The court upheld the request until the case is heard.
"The ministries, public authorities and entities forming Team Blue Lagoon remain steadfast in their shared determination to ensure sustainable, safe and well-managed operations at the Blue Lagoon. They will be reasserting their dedication to visitors’ wellbeing and the long-term preservation of the Blue Lagoon, one the Mediterranean’s most picturesque coastal sites, throughout the ongoing legal process," the MTA said.
Earlier this week, the authority launched a new free visitor online booking system to protect the environment of Comino’s Blue Lagoon to reduce visitor numbers and protect the area’s environment. The MTA also introduced a capping of visitors to 4,000 at any one time.
Visitors can book one of three daily time slots: 8am to 1pm, 1.30pm to 5.30pm and 6pm to 10pm.
The booking system will instantly generate a unique QR code to be presented to officials at the site’s coastal and land access points.
Visitors will be provided with a wristband, allowing access for the duration of the time slot.
The MTA said the first day of the system’s entry saw 4,800 people present their booking QR-codes and were issued access wrist bands at the area’s three entry points.
The statement said the suspension of the booking system will not impact ferry operations.
Plans for capping visitor numbers at the Blue Lagoon were first revealed by Foreign and Tourism Minister Ian Borg in an interview with Times of Malta last February.
The new capping system was not welcomed by everyone. Nationalist Party MP Alex Borg was among those who said Maltese people should not have to book to visit Comino's Blue Lagoon, while Moviment Graffitti said the booking system is full of loopholes and does not tackle the main cause of the island’s exploitation.
Operators voice concerns regarding new ticketing system: GTA
In a statement by the Gozo Tourism Association regarding the measures aimed at controlling visitor numbers at Blue Lagoon, the association said it has consistently expressed its support for better management of tourism activity on Comino.
The GTA, and commercial vessel operators to Blue Lagoon, also members of the association, have held discussions with the Ministry to find a sustainable approach to address long-standing challenges in the area.
“Over the past two months, representatives of the GTA and the commercial vessel operators participated in two consultation meetings with the Ministry for Tourism to discuss the proposed measures. During these meetings, operators voiced several concerns and put forward constructive, experience-driven recommendations, particularly focused on easing congestion in the Blue Lagoon and advocating for visitor caps to apply solely to tourists, and not local residents.”
The GTA said the feedback provided had not been incorporated into the final implementation plan. One of the primary concerns of the operators was that the system did not create a level playing field, as it allocates landing slots to specific categories of operators.
“This is seen as discriminatory and detrimental to fair competition in the sector,” the statement read.
Another concern is the rushed implementation of a significant operational change, which poses challenges to be introduced in a two-month timeframe.
“A transitional period is essential to enable operators to adjust schedules, restructure logistics, and adequately inform international partners and clients of the changes,” GTA said.
The association said such abrupt changes pose a serious risk of financial strain for operators and can have negative impacts on both the operator experience and the overall reputation of the destination.