Tourism will need 'suitable strategies' if temperatures keep rising

The Malta Tourism Authority is concerned about the possible implications that continued global warming could have on Malta and its tourism industry but is focusing its energies on current issues.

Although this was "definitely" an issue that had to be dealt with in-depth down the line, MTA chairman Sam Mifsud said the authority's more immediate concerns revolved around the challenges faced due to the current international tourism scenario and the constant changes and shifts in trends, preference and travel patterns.

A report published by Deutsche Bank Research earlier this week does not paint a pretty picture for Malta's tourism, identifying it as the European country with the most to lose if current global warming trends continue.

It points out that the classic summer package holiday in the Mediterranean tourist centres would noticeably suffer from rising temperatures by 2030, with higher temperatures and water shortages possibly putting off tourists in the high season. It says climate change will "permanently" alter the attraction of some holiday regions and force them to take steps to adapt in the next few decades.

The report ranks Malta as the biggest loser, on the other end of the scale as Denmark, the Benelux countries and Germany.

When questioned about the report, Mr Mifsud pointed out that this was not the first of its kind. "If one were to analyse what these climate change reports are saying, it is basically that temperatures are envisaged to become warmer across the board and throughout the year in about 20 to 25 years' time.

Whether or not warmer summers in the Mediterranean region are more or less attractive is a pretty subjective and hypothetical issue. I do not feel we can, as yet, assume what will or will not be fashionable or attractive in 20 to 25 years from now."

Another report published in 2006 in the Journal of Sustainable Tourism had also said that climate change was likely to rob Mediterranean tourist destinations of their summer lure, with temperatures becoming too hot for holidaymakers.

Asked about the impact of increasing temperatures on the cruise liner and English language industry, Mr Mifsud noted that in tourism everything has a direct impact on trends, patterns, likes and dislikes. However, he continued, this was a hypothetical scenario which he did not feel could be realistically addressed now.

Mr Mifsud said that while the authority had "more immediate and pressing issues" that could determine the success of the country's tourism industry in the coming years, if the pattern of temperature increases prevails, it would have to develop suitable strategies, together with the stakeholders, to ensure that the tourism industry could cope with the shifting realities and remain sustainable.

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association is surely among those interested in the effect climate change would have on tourism. When contacted, association president Josef Formosa Gauci said climate change is regularly discussed in meetings, not only of the association's council but also during meetings at European level. "At the end of the day, climate change can have an effect everywhere."

Experts have noted that the rising temperatures could lead to a shift in tourism from the summer to the shoulder months. Malta's ambassador for climate change, Michael Zammit Cutajar, said there could be a shift of tourists to off-season months.

The Deutsche Bank report too pointed out that higher temperatures could lead to a shift of tourists from summer to the shoulder months. While the local tourist sector is equipped to cater for people all year round, Mr Formosa Gauci said "obviously" it did not want to fill in the shoulder months at the expense of summer.

Mr Zammit Cutajar said the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has indicated certain adverse impacts on Malta, including a reduction in rainfall, an increase in the strength of storms as well as very hot summers and milder winters.