There are 17 concessionaires with licences to rent out deckchairs, sunbeds and umbrellas crammed into just five of Malta’s most popular beaches, official information shows.  

Data on concession agreements was given by Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo on Tuesday evening in response to a parliamentary question asked by Opposition MP Rebekah Borg, the PN’s spokesperson on lands.  

The overcrowding of Malta’s beaches with deckchairs and umbrellas has been a hotly contested issue. 

Just last month, Malta’s hospitality lobby released a study which found that popular beaches like Comino's Blue Lagoon and Golden Bay are among the most crowded in Europe. 

Which beaches does the data cover?

The information tabled in parliament shows Mellieħa’s Għadira Bay is host to the most concessions with eight lidos and kiosks allowed by the Lands Authority to rent out umbrellas and deck chairs on the island's longest sandy beach. 

Not far from this popular swimming spot, Armier is subject to a further five concessions to rent out umbrellas and beds on the sand.   

Golden Bay, referred to as “Golden Sands” in the parliamentary question, is the subject of a single concession agreement for beach beds.  

Perhaps the most problematic concessions are those on the islet of Comino. 

Bartolo confirmed that there are three separate concessions there.  

Since 2018 the sandy coasts of Santa Marija bay and the Blue Lagoon on Comino have been rented out to the Malta Tourism Authority.  

The smallest of Malta’s three islands, Comino’s tiny bays have become a battleground between concessionaires and those who feel the bay should be free for all to enjoy.  

In August more than 100 people answered a call by Moviment Graffitti to descend on Comino to protest the rampant commercialisation of the Blue Lagoon. 

Comino's Blue Lagoon is often overcrowded in the summer months. File photo.

It was the second such protest of the summer, with activists having cleared the bay of deckchairs and umbrellas in June. 

Many feel that concessionaires have overrun Malta's beaches and are insisting on deckchairs and umbrellas being restricted with operators only setting them up when asked to by a paying client.