Hiking tourism should be exploited fully by Malta

Sporting holidays are gaining ground, according to a recent feature in the The Times. This is an eye-opener and should be taken seriously by the Malta Tourism Authority and all those involved in tourism.

This article makes the Ramblers’ Association more credible especially when it keeps insisting with government entities that there should be proper marked hiking trails, maps and less intimidation from land owners.

The fact that hiking is the most popular activity among European sporting holidays (38 per cent) means that if it is well advertised, Malta, and especially Gozo, stand to benefit from these tourists in the winter period.

As for those trails which are still out of bounds to hikers, a compromise should be found with the land owners for these to be opened on certain days of the week at a small fee. As the feature recommends, the growing awareness of one’s body and mind means that people are increasingly keen to improve their health when on vacation and hiking is an alternative to a spa.