Mellieħa : how thirty years of tourism activity have shaped a rural village

Abstract

This study takes a look at the locality of Mellieħa, a once rural village which has now become a 'European Destination of Excellence'. With the aid of ethnographic observation and personal in-depth interviews, this research looks at the relationship between the Melleħin and the tourists, with particular focus on the cultural and societal changes that have taken place within the community due to tourism and exposure to foreign customs; local perceptions on tourists and tourism; the economic impact of tourism on the once rural locality; and the possible impact that the constant presence of foreign visitors could have had on the mentality and traditional values of the resident community. The points examined in this paper are partly based on the issues raised in a similar study carried out by Annabel Back in 1966, entitled 'Negotiating the Tourist Gaze: The Example of Malta', which seeks to examine 'some of the ways in which the people of the Island of Malta responded to the ever-encroaching presence of tourism over the last twenty years' (Black 1966). The main purpose of this dissertation is to determine whether the issues and realities put forward in Black's study are still applicable in the present, now that Mellieħa has been a tourist resort for more than three decades. The outcome of this study shows that even though tourism activity in Mellieħa has altered the locality in more ways than one, the core of the Melleħin is still relatively intact and their perceptions of tourism are more positive than ever. The dissertation demonstrates that tourism has increased awareness amongst the Melleħin, of their locality's potential as a tourist destination. Results also reveal that it is necessary that the Melleħin continue to offer their visitors a worthwhile experience in the future. Tourism must not be taken for granted and the locals should be consulted more often and be constantly educated. This will ultimately produce better hosts and a more tourist-oriented community, which together make for a considerable competitive advantage. Throughout this study, Mellieħa is also referred to as 'the village', 'the town', or 'the locality'; whilst the people of the village are always referred to as 'the residents', 'the locals' or 'the Melleħin '.