Malta's tourism industry since 1985: Diversification, cultural tourism and sustainability

Abstract

During the 1960s and 1970s, Malta's mass tourism industry developed in a relatively unplanned fashion and was characterised by a mixed assortment of benefits and disbenefits, as well as dependence on a narrowly defined market. This paper examines the international trends and government policies that have resulted in the diversification of the tourist industry in Malta since the mid-1980s. Focusing on one particular type of nichemarketing, that of cultural tourism, the paper explores some of the possible impacts following from the changing patterns of tourism. The paper questions whether cultural tourists are a blessing or blight, and considers the emerging implications for the sustainability of tourism in Malta, examining Malta as a sensitive test case for tourism development strategies.

Enhancing “Places” Through Archaeological Heritage in Sun, Sand, and Sea Touristic Coastal Areas: A Case Study From Mallorca (Spain)

“…During the same period, the representation of British tourists decreased from 50% to 38%. Furthermore, the tourists who visited Malta due to its history and culture rose from 19% in 1991 to 32% in 1996, although 58% of visitors declared that good weather was the main reason for their choice (Dodds 2007;Markwick 1999). However, the largest benefit was probably that its cultural heritage granted Malta a peculiarity which differentiated it from its competitors in terms of touristic destinations, an advantage which the sun-holidays did not have (Foxell and Trafford 2010;Markwick 1999).…”

“…By 1987, this small island state decided to draw a long-term action plan, the Tourism Master Plan for the Maltese Islands (Horwath and Horwath 1989), aimed at reverting the decrease in the number of British touristswho were their main visitors-as a consequence of the 1980s recession in the UK. In the same way, it intended to solve the problems related to mass tourism in a warm, sunny climate (Markwick 1999). This Plan stated as its main objectives the lengthening of the holiday season as well as the improvement in quality of both the touristic product offered and the target tourists.…”

Case Study 1: Overtourism in Valletta—Reality or Myth?

“…Tourism was the obvious choice because of Malta's pleasant weather and extensive coastline. The growth in tourist arrivals was matched by poor product development and a series of problems such as environmental degradation, infrastructural overloading, overdependence on a single source market and seasonal fluctuations (Markwick 1999). Until the 1990s Malta's tourism grew in line with the demands of tour operators who persisted in selling Malta as a sun and sea holiday destination, peaking in July and August, with little else to offer during the rest of the year.…”

Repositioning Malta as a cultural heritage destination

“…Briguglio and Briguglio (1996, p. 174) caution that while Malta's rich cultural heritage gives the island significant potential as a cultural destination, such tourism should be seen as supplementing rather than replacing mass tourism because exclusive dependence on cultural tourism would not be viable for Malta economically, at least in the short to medium term. Worth noting in this debate, is how some argue that cultural tourism is not an entirely more sustainable type of tourism than seaside mass tourism (see Markwick, 1999).…”