Only 0.4% of tourists coming to Malta fall within the niche sector of religious tourism, Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said.

"This is a niche market that can be further expanded, especially when over 365 Churches exist on the islands".

The Tourism Minister was attending the opening of a new tourism project called 'The Shipwreck', at the Centre for Animation and Communication (CAK) in Birkirkara.

'The Shipwreck' is a half hour documentary telling the story of St Paul's arrival to the island, describing his relationship with St Publius and his work in Malta. The project cost €376,000, partly financed by the European Regional Development Fund.

"This project shows Malta's religious identity. We must keep coming up with these kind of initiatives".

The Tourism Minister spoke of the need to break through seasonal tourism and achieve positive tourism results year round, adding that Malta has already begun to do so. He also highlighted the need to spread tourism among different localities, and not just have tourist hot zones.