The dynamic of safety on the perception of Malta as a language-learning destination

Abstract

Language tourism, particularly in the form of studying English in a destination away from one’s country of origin, seems to be on the rise all around the world and Malta has established itself as one of the main centres for learning English as a foreign language. However, a potentially determining factor that may influence tourism demand of a particular tourist destination, and which is generally overlooked in the literature, is the element of safety whilst visiting a destination. In the context of international tourism, potential visitors to a country may be deterred from their visit if the probability of victimization in that country is high. Therefore, this research attempted to shed light on the language niche market and on the perceptions of language students – perceptions (particularly in terms of safety) based on their experience in Malta. This research also investigated the impact that language tourists leave on the host community, and whether they are protagonists of crime whilst studying in Malta. The objective of this study was to research the perception of the host community in relation to the dynamic of safety which language students may bring along with them, when visiting the Maltese shores. This research, evaluated also if as a result of this perception, a negative image of Malta is being portrayed beyond from our shores. From another perspective the researcher attempted also to identify the language students’ perception of the level of safety that Malta and the Maltese community can offer and what is the experience they would be taking home with them This quantitative research indicated that most language students have felt unsafe at some point during their stay in Malta, with the majority stating that lack of safety was experienced within a bar or a club. This perceived lack of safety could emanate from the fact that Maltese authorities were not available when assistance was needed. However, this somewhat negative experience did not taint the positive perception most (81 per cent) of the students would opt to return to Malta as leisure or language tourists. This could be because the language tourists are coming from countries that have a higher crime rate than in Malta. Therefore, they are accustomed to more unsafe incidences than the ones they experience in Malta. The researcher consulted the social media posts trail left by the Swieqi residents which indicates that the residents of Swieqi do not feel that there is a strong social control system within their locality and this left them feeling insecure in their neighbourhoods. This perception was exacerbated when actually experienced of crime and disorder, on a regular basis, when the number of language students was at its peak. This study posits that it is the national safety element of a destination that could affect travelling towards that destination as opposed to personal experiences. Therefore, influencing inbound tourists on the perception of a destination depends very much on those who promote it, such as the government, as key players rather than on the travellers themselves.