Malta's destination as a tourism hotspot was highlighted in the international press recently, although not in a good way.

We are here referring to an article that appeared in the British newspaper the Daily Express, and another in the Metro, which painted a rather concerning picture. They focused on Comino.

"What was once a 'peaceful' destination is now overrun by 10,000 tourists a day," they wrote, in reference to Comino, continuing that locals are getting fed up.

Tourism is one of the major pillars of the Maltese economy. That is no secret. From hotels, to the many museums and sites around the islands, to restaurants, bars and cafes, there are many, many people whose livelihoods depend on this sector's success.

But for many years it has been pointed out that Malta needs to shift its targeted tourist. Malta is a small group of islands, with limited space.

Spreading tourism out throughout the year, rather than just during the peak summer season, has been successful. But is the current tourism numbers trajectory sustainable? Probably not.

In 2024, Malta welcomed 3,563,618 tourists, up from 2,975,670 in 2023. The current trend suggests that 2025 could see the island push well beyond four million tourist arrivals. But Malta's infrastructure is already struggling. Roads are congested, beaches are packed, Comino is a mess despite the government's recent restrictions. The capping, so to speak, was ineffective, Moviment Graffitti recently wrote.

Certain areas, like the Blue Lagoon, need more protection and limitations on numbers than are currently present. Keep in mind that Comino is a Natura 2000 site.

But the UK article didn't just mention Comino. "Last month, one of our Maltese guides cancelled a walking tour in Valletta because the streets were too congested. The guide couldn't show our clients around well enough to give them a meaningful experience without interference. The overstrain is slowly starting to collapse cultural experiences, beating the point of tourism," The Express quotes Alexandra Dubakova, travel expert and CMO at Free Walking Tours as saying. Dubakova believes the solution should be better flow management, nudging travellers to ignored locations so tourists spread out and stay longer.

Ensuring a better spread of tourists across the islands could be beneficial, yes, and it is worth pushing for. But, continuing to increase tourism numbers at the current rate is not sustainable. Malta only has so many beaches with so much space. The main tourism spots will always remain the main tourism spots.

As this newsroom recently wrote, over-tourism is no longer a distant concern. It is happening now.

Malta needs to aim to attract higher spending tourists in order to require fewer tourists to sustain the sector. Tourists don't want to be on beaches without any space between them and others, don't want to be like a can of sardines while at a tourist attraction. Locals also wouldn't want that. A balance needs to be struck.

We are all proud of the success of the tourism sector, of that there is no doubt. But a real long-term vision for sustainability of the sector is needed, and that sustainability must take into account the overall experience of tourists who choose to come here, as well as locals. Over-tourism can be damaging not just to the environment, but also to tourism itself.