In the 1960s, tourism in Malta was still in its infancy. If a statistician would have predicted that Malta would be overwhelmed with 2.5 million tourists in the second decade of the 21st century, his forecast would have been rejected as ruinous for Malta.

In the late 1960s, a Hollywood movie, set in the overcrowded world of the future, was shown at local cinemas. The scene that imprinted this film in my memory showed hordes of tourists invading a pristine Mediterranean island similar to Comino in the 1960s. As I watched this scene, I said to myself: “Is this the way it’s going to be in the future?”

The hoi polloi have invaded Europe’s tourist ‘hot spots’, including Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Dubrovnik, Venice and Rome.

‘Thanks’ to cheap flights, ‘the great unwashed’ have invaded Malta too.

You can see them, dressed in shabby clothes and with knapsacks on their backs or carrying minuscule luggage on wheels, roaming the streets of Paceville and St Julian’s.

If you spend some time observing the scene at the busy bus stop in front of the Wembley taxi service during the afternoon rush hour you can see the foreign hoi polloi coming from all directions to the bus stop.

When I see them, I always wonder where do all these people come from.

What are they doing here? Are they looking for jobs? How did they find out about Malta? Why did they choose Malta rather than other countries that have more to offer?

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