The Malta Tourism Authority announced a substantial jump in the number of tourists from 1.33 million in 2010 to 2.75 million in 2019 meaning that over this ten-year period Malta has doubled its tourism intake.

This is reflected in the number of overnight stays where the number increased by 4% over 2018 to reach 19.3 million nights. This means that the country has an average daily tourist population of 53,000 over and above residents and other non-tourist visitors. Tourism expenditure has also increased impressively by circa €110 million on the previous year.

Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli spoke on Wednesday afternoon at the Malta Tourism Authority's (MTA) 2019 End of Year Results business event.

"I can see the passion and energy all stakeholders put into their work to bring Malta to the top, and the passion and drive can be seen in the record results," said Farrugia Portelli. She said that there has been a rapid growth in the tourism sector and that MTA can achieve more growth and achievements.

"Looking ahead, my priorities, despite the challenges we are facing, case in point is the Corona virus, which is the current number one threat, Malta shall continue to move forward," expressed Farrugia Portelli.

She said that soon MTA will be launching a consultation on the new chapter in Malta's tourism policy for 2025. "The first draft of the policy looks into the principle of sustainable tourism, which we must focus on quality and sustainability as these two go hand in hand," expressed Farrugia Portelli.  She said that she wishes to work alongside stakeholders and to continue the work relationships and dialogue.

"This is an opportunity to discuss, share our ideas and ambitions, and I look forward to this process," expressed the Minister. She highlighted that the ministry and MTA are looking into a slower but sustained tourism growth over the next few years.

Farrugia Portelli said that it is important to "go back to our roots." "The service we provide our guests is the expected high standard."

Gavin Gulia, chairman of MTA said that connectivity within the tourist industry is the most important element. He reflected back to 2006, which he described as a "watershed year" for the industry back when there was a big debate about whether to introduce low-cost carriers in Malta. "After a while we began to see the contribution that low cost carriers, such as Ryanair, added to the island. We were stuck in a rut, but since the low cost carriers arrived in Malta, the growth has been phenomenal."

He said that in 2019, Malta had no national event or showcase, but still managed to boost visibility. "We had CHOGM, the European Presidency and Valletta 2018, which all boosted visibility for Malta, so when 2019 came along, we were uncertain as we had no planned national event, but we succeeded once again." He claimed that the success is due to the synergy of all the stakeholders working together. 

Leslie Vella MTA Deputy CEO said that over the past decade tourism in Malta has doubled in volume, especially in regards to younger travellers visiting Malta, as more events attracting younger age groups have increased.  He said that there has also been more growth in tourists visiting also during off-peak seasons. There has also been a decrease in the average length of stay.  He said that Malta is now following international trends when it comes to accommodation usage, with an increase in collective accommodation. When speaking regarding tourism expenditure, Vella highlighted that there is now a more diverse spread of expenditure.

Vella said that in the years to come, the MTA must continue to build on its achievements but also to address bottlenecks and shortcomings to ensure a more heightened tourism experience.

"The vast majority of tourists are very happy and pleased with their holiday to Malta but they do list a number of concerns which we need to address," said Vella. He explained that the MTA must look into sustaining growth through a more rigorous process aimed at targeting Malta's ideal tourism mix. He said that Malta has the luxury to choose what type of tourism to promote and tourism which is sustainable. He also said that it is important to ensure quality at all levels of MTA's products and services.