Travel in Malta

Tourism booming in Malta as the country eyes new opportunities

Tourism is incredibly important to the Maltese economy, with it being one of the main drivers of GDP. Following on from the success of Valletta European Capital of Culture 2018, Malta continues to invest in new cultural events and the restoration and redevelopment of areas across the islands.

Airbnb continues to see dynamic growth, driving online sales

Online bookings soared over the review period as inbound arrivals increasingly used online booking agents, social media and other websites to book their travel arrangements. A key driver behind this growth is the rapid development of peer to peer service providers, in particular Airbnb, with these enabling individuals to rent accommodation directly to tourists.

Air Malta returns to growth following restructuring and capacity increase

After two decades of decline, the country’s flagship airline, Air Malta, returned to growth in 2018, with this impressive performance being carried into 2019. The company underwent a restructuring process over the review period with it increasing its capacity, introducing unbundled pricing and new sales strategies, as well as introducing onboard sales.

Malta approves plans for new tunnel linking the mainland to Gozo

Transport between Malta and its sister island Gozo is currently serviced by four ferries operated by the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), with the fourth ferry being added to its fleet in 2019. However, due to increasing delays during peak times and an increase in traffic the building of a tunnel between the islands was proposed, with this being approved in parliament in 2019.

Malta faces challenges but continues to invest in improving its offer

Tourism in Malta is expected to continue seeing healthy growth over the forecast period, although perhaps not as impressive as that seen over the review period. Economic uncertainty prevails around some of Malta’s key source markets, with the UK in particular under the cloud of Brexit.

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