Daily number of tourists

Is pressure from tourism on the environment increasing?

Tourism is an important sector of the Maltese economy, however it has significant impact on the environment in terms of waste generation, electricity and water consumption, land take-up and pressure on ecologically sensitive areas.

Between 2008 and 2009 tourist numbers decreased by 8.4 per cent to 1.18 million in 2009, and total bed nights fell by 9.2 per centduring the same period. Between 2008 and 2009, the number of departing tourists in August fell by three per cent to 172,438, but achieving an even distribution throughout the year, and therefore alleviating pressures on environmental resources, remains a challenge for the Maltese tourism sector.

Foreign students attending English language specialised schools decreased by 17.3 per cent between 2008 and 2009, falling from 83,288 to 68,918. These students represented 5.8 per cent of total tourists in 2009 (down from 6.5 per cent in 2008), and most of them (57.8 per cent) visited in summer.

Cruiseliner calls declined by 34.3 per cent, from 397 in 2008 to 261 in 2009, and passengers decreased by 20.9 per cent.

However in 2010, tourist numbers once again revived, increasing by 13 per cent over 2009 and exceeding the 2008 total.