Proposed strategic directions for the promotion of sustainable tourism in Malta

Abstract

The objective of this document is to propose a set of strategic directions for Malta in the quest for sustainable tourism which is defined by the UN Environment Programme and UN World Tourism Organization as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and the host communities.” This implies that a strategy for sustainable tourism should address economic, environmental and social concerns for the current and future generations. One cannot therefore ignore issues that will impact future contexts and consequently future societies. This calls for a coordinated approach across policy fields. Given Malta’s sensitivities, the attainment of sustainable tourism is paramount. This necessitates making choices about the type of tourism activity that best suits the country not only in the short term but also in the long term. This implies coordinated decision-making in different policy fields that looks at the whole value chain: commencing from starting up, the investment and the operational cycle, the resulting impacts, as well as the markets and tourist profiles that Malta seeks to attract. In this document reference is made to the need to attract quality tourists. This term refers to discerning tourists who care for and respect the host community, its culture and its physical environment, and recognise the value of and accept to pay the right price for what is experienced in the host destination.