Beyond heads on pillows
Let’s measure tourism success in real value In 2024, Malta welcomed over 3.5 million tourists, with projections suggesting over four million in 2025. While these milestones are often celebrated, locals and industry operators increasingly view them as excessive. Are we measuring the right kind of success? Tourism performance has long been measured by volume: arrivals, overnight stays and occupancy rates. However, the key question is not the quantity of visitors but the real, lasting and inflation-adjusted value each visitor brings to our economy and community. Counting arrivals reveals little about Malta’s tourism effectiveness. Even expenditure per night, preferred by hoteliers,…
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Can Malta keep up blockbuster increase in tourist arrivals throughout 2025?
The Malta Tourism Authority’s use of tailored marketing to niche markets is paying off, says Alan Arrigo Malta has kicked off 2025 with a surge in tourist arrivals, registering a staggering 25 per cent increase over the same period in 2024. This trend, if sustained throughout the year, could see the country welcoming close to 4.5 million visitors – a figure that would shatter all previous records. But is such a growth rate sustainable? And more importantly, can the country’s infrastructure and tourism workforce cope with the strain if summer months see similar spikes? Speaking to BusinessNow.mt, Alan Arrigo, co-CEO of…
Keep readingAlan Arrigo on why Malta needs to shift focus from tourist numbers to quality experiences
While record-breaking arrival numbers may seem positive, they have also raised concerns about sustainability and the overall visitor experience As Malta continues to see record-breaking tourist arrival numbers, concerns about sustainability and visitor experience are mounting. Alan Arrigo, Co-CEO of Robert Arrigo & Sons and a council member of the Malta Chamber, sheds light on the evolving landscape of Maltese tourism, the challenges of maintaining quality, and what it would take for the island to attract high-value travellers. In both 2023 and 2024, Malta experienced significant year-on-year increases in tourist arrivals – 32 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively.…
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TOURISM IN MALTA
AN OUTLOOK FOR 2025 As we step into 2025, Malta’s tourism sector is on the brink of another year of growth, driven by rising tourist arrivals and the launch of new real estate developments in the accommodation sector. However, this growth brings challenges that call for strategic management and foresight from both operators and public stakeholders. Addressing these structural issues is essential for ensuring long-term sustainability and safeguarding Malta’s reputation as a premium destination. Rediscovering Growth and Opportunities Malta has long charmed travellers with its rich history, vibrant culture, and breath taking Mediterranean landscapes, all nestled within a compact, easily…
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Opinion: Are we getting better at tourism, or just getting more of it?
Success in tourism will not just be measured by the numbers Malta’s tourism figures continue to break records. In 2024, the country welcomed 3.56 million tourists, reinforcing a long-standing focus on volume. But beyond the headline numbers, the reality is more complex. While visitor spending was marginally higher than in 2023 when adjusted for inflation, it remains lower than in 2019 and 2022, when per tourist spending was 1% and 3% higher, in 2019 and 2022 respectively. This reinforces the need to focus on high-yield value rather than volume for long-term benefits. This raises an important question: Are we really…
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