Over the past several years, the exponential growth of mass tourism has led to economic, spatial, social and cultural changes in Valletta. Although dynamism is an integral part of urban life, these changes can destroy the emotional connection between the people, especially the residents of Valletta, and the place.
Like some historic European cities, Valletta is suffering from growing tourism pressure. Former Valletta mayor Alexiei Dingli argues that the obstacles that organisers of the traditional Good Friday processions faced in Valletta are symptomatic of how the cultural heritage of the capital is being ignored.
Dingli remarks: “It is disheartening to see shop owners in Valletta disregard the impact of their actions on the city’s life. Some businesses seem to be exploiting the city to earn their daily bread, disregarding the few days when significant events occur.”
The social infrastructure of Valletta has changed over the past 50 years. It has become mainly a monofunctional tourist destination from a multifunctional residential historic city. Residential and traditional commercial areas have been replaced with catering establishments, boutique hotels and souvenir shops catering for tourist needs. This has affected the city’s quality of life and has forced many Valletta residents to relocate to other towns.
Valletta needs to protect the tangible and intangible aspects of its cultural heritage. Historic public spaces are places for social interaction. The interaction of people living or visiting Valletta should help them experience the everyday life of a historic city. Valletta’s popular culture and routines are intangible aspects of our capital’s culture that create a unique spirit or sense of place.
If changes in the physical environment of Valletta are not well managed in a way that protects social interactions between the residents and those who visit the city, people’s fond memories of our capital’s experience will fade and a sense of alienation may arise.
There is worrying evidence that the strategies to preserve the cultural heritage of Valletta are failing. Policymakers must introduce practices that respect the city’s cultural diversity and raise awareness about the importance of intangible cultural heritage.
The upgrading of physical facilities should be done in the context of full recognition of the right of locals and foreigners to participate in cultural life. The local community must be encouraged to participate in the heritage governance of Valletta. Strategies for promoting mass tourism in our capital city should be discarded. Development plans must be defined so that the city’s historic identity will be maintained.
Valletta has a unique advantage over some other European historic cities in that it still has a sizeable residential area.
Policymakers must enhance the quality of the human environment and urban life of Valletta residents by identifying the needs of residents.
This could help to attract new, younger residents to the city, which has great potential for offering a unique lifestyle experience.
Dingli poignantly comments on the overexploitation of Valletta’s cultural heritage for monetary gain.
He says: “This is simply greed. We are prostituting the city, using it and then discarding it. The professed love for Valletta is hypocritical when such obscenities occur.”
Policymakers must define strategies for protecting Valletta’s intangible and tangible values.
This can be done by integrating these values into the social, cultural and economic life of the city and the quality of life of its residents.