Revenue from tourism is expected to exceed an unprecedented €3 billion by the end of the year, the Tourism Ministry said on Thursday. 

In a press conference, Malta Tourism Authority CEO Carlo Micallef said tourism revenue has already seen a 23% increase, having already reached €2.2 billion by August. In 2023, the country made a total of €2.7 billion in revenue from tourism. 

Pivoting to the MTA’s efforts to increase connectivity, Micallef said Malta has direct flights to 110 airports both within and outside of the EU and has undertaken marketing efforts in more than 40 countries. 

Thanks to Aer Lingus starting to operate in Malta, Micallef said this has allowed Malta to be connected to North America, reaching 15 airports in the US and two in Canada. 

The MTA, Micallef said, is actively courting another two legacy carriers for travel to Asia and Australia, to expand routes to Malta in the region. 

The authority has undertaken a competitive marketing strategy to continue to grow tourism during the winter period. The effort, Micallef said, is tailored specifically to different niches and based on data to send targeted advertising to consumers more likely to be higher spenders. 

Americans are biggest spenders

According to MTA data, tourists from the United States tended to be the highest spenders while in Malta, followed by those from the UAE, Ireland, Norway, Canada and Australia. 

Malta is actively competing with destinations such as Budapest, Rome, Paris and Dubai in the winter season while in summer advertising pivots to compete with Mediterranean resort-style locations, including the Spanish and Greek islands as well as Cyprus. 

Malta Tourism Authority CEO Carlo Micallef. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Micallef said that tourism in the winter period grew from 993,253 passengers in the 2022-2023 season up to 1,272,059 passengers in the 2023-2024 season. The number has more than doubled since the 2012-2013 period when it stood at 514,273. 

The tourism industry has been able to grow sustainably because it is cultivating growth in the winter months and staying its hand during the summer season, with hotels being able to keep their room rates up throughout. 

“You’re not going to see any special offers to Malta, everyone is keeping up their price because we are attracting tourists who are interested in the Maltese product,” he said, adding that the country will no longer see the phenomenon of hotels having to close up for the winter. 

The average room rate hovered at €202 per night in five-star hotels last year, up from €165 in 2019, while in four-star hotels they stayed at €104 per night, up from €90 in 2019. 

In line with global trends, Micallef said that the average length of stay has also continued to dip, going from 7.3 nights in 2022 to 6.8 nights in 2023. 

He said this is viewed positively as it has not impacted spending while hosting travellers for fewer nights lessens their impact on the community. 

Tourist accommodation reform in the works - minister 

Asked how the government is planning to balance out the so-called quality tourism against the pressures created by instances of mass tourism, including public cleansing and crowding, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said the strategy is no longer courting mass tourism and aims to keep summer traffic steady while continuing to grow in winter. 

Additionally, he said that the government has plans to announce reform for the tourism accommodation sector, although he declined to elaborate further when asked. 

“In the coming weeks, we will be going public with a consultation that will help us make that next leap in the sector,” he said. 

“I believe the same way we introduced the skills pass and left good results for the industry, we will be achieving something similar in this next step.” 

Bartolo said the government has also stepped up investment in problem areas where the pressures of tourism are felt more keenly, such as increasing waste collection times in the Swieqi, St Julian’s and Sliema areas. 

Bartolo said the core of the ministry’s strategy is moving away from mass tourism as a whole.

“We want to give tourists a good experience, focus on spending and have more sustainable bed nights all year round,” he said.  

“We feel that on these three pillars, we can take tourism to a higher level and so the wider community can benefit from it and not just feel it as a burden.”