Comino’s Blue Lagoon can expect to see half the usual number of tourists during this summer’s busiest months, as the government plans to introduce a capacity cap for commercial boat operators.

Speaking in an interview on Times of Malta’s podcast Times Talk, Tourism Minister Ian Borg vowed to “clean up” Comino, add sanitary facilities and introduce stricter and fairer concessions for boat, kiosk and deckchair operators as early as this summer.

“We must clean up Comino. During July and August, 10,000 people descend on Comino’s Blue Lagoon every day, and that’s too many,” he said in his first interview since his appointment as Tourism Minister last November.

He said Transport Malta is compiling a list of commercial operators serving Comino to assess their regulatory compliance, boat capacity and trip frequency, ultimately leading to a cap on the number of passengers each commercial boat can carry.

“We can’t keep permitting operators to unload boatloads of 700 or 800 passengers at one time in such a small space. The plan is to reduce the number of passengers by half.”

Borg said the cap will take effect this summer and only applies to commercial boats, not private vessels. He defended the measure as being in the best interest of operators as well, ensuring the long-term sustainability of Comino and its appeal to tourists.

Plans also include expanding the swimming zone and requiring boats to unload passengers further offshore.

The pervasive commercialisation of the small island, especially the stunning Blue Lagoon, has long been controversial and activists and environmental NGOs have been calling for a cap on tourist numbers for years.

The proliferation of deckchairs and umbrellas, often encroaching upon protected natural areas and virtually eating up all public space is especially contentious. A Times of Malta video published in 2021 revealing the extent of the problem has, by now, amassed over 10 million views on social media.

The next year Moviment Graffitti activists descended on the island in protest, removing deckchairs and umbrellas, calling out the rampant commercialisation, and coming head-to-head with operators and the police.

Activists have long argued that the increased presence of kiosks and the relentless flow of commercial boat traffic contribute to a cacophony of noise pollution, the accumulation of litter, and the gradual degradation of the island’s delicate environment.

Comino’s ecological designation as a Natura 2000 site underscores the gravity of these concerns. Plastic waste, damage to the unique garrigue habitats and lack of enforcement further exacerbate the situation.

Activists also called for a carrying capacity study for Comino, arguing that it is essential to determine the maximum number of visitors the island can sustainably accommodate.

‘It will still look crowded’

In the interview, Ian Borg conceded that despite halving the numbers this summer, the Blue Lagoon will likely remain crowded, necessitating further long-term solutions.

“This doesn’t mean Comino will look empty. When you [the media] go to take pictures, it will still look crowded, which is why more measures are needed over a longer period,” he said.

He mentioned the installation of more manned public toilets as a priority, alongside a review of the number and placement of kiosks.

“Do we need all those kiosks?” he asked.

Furthermore, he vowed to address the chaotic arrangement of kiosks through a standardised design, developed in consultation with NGOs and other stakeholders, and approved by authorities following a public call.

“Kiosks are set up according to the owners’ likes, but Comino is not yours,” he said.

Addressing past criticisms of opaque direct orders for kiosks and deckchairs, Borg also committed to issuing tenders for all future concessions for transparency and fairness.

The pervasive commercialisation of the small island, especially the stunning Blue Lagoon, has long been controversial and activists and environmental NGOs have been calling for a cap on tourist numbers for years. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

During the interview, he handed Times of Malta a copy of the current concession agreements on the island. However, the names of the operators were blacked out.

He said the government will not be able to implement all changes this year but is planning to get them done by next year.

“If I managed to finish the Marsa flyovers in two years, I think we can manage to do this in as much time,” he said.

Borg, who is also deputy prime minister, foreign minister and the Labour Party’s deputy leader, was handed the large tourism portfolio last November, taking over from former minister Clayton Bartolo who resigned following two scandals involving him and his wife.

That portfolio was added on top of his existing – and already hefty – foreign affairs ministry.

During the 80-minute interview which will be released this week, Borg also addressed new Airbnb rules, controversial hotel planning concessions and fielded questions on local politics, his presence at Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony last month, Palestine and the Middle East, the Ukraine war, Malta’s neutrality and defence and his government’s scandals, among others.

The full podcast will be released on Times of Malta, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and on social media.