The historical future of tourism : the case of Malta's policies

Abstract

Malta, located in the central Mediterranean at the southern periphery of the European Union (EU), is a small independent island nation and the EU’s smallest Member State. The country’s geographical features and its history have played a key role in determining and shaping the nature of tourism activity in Malta. As a destination it is attractive primarily due to an agreeable climate, a rich history and it being a Mediterranean island – which does, however, amplify the challenge of accessibility. It has an extremely limited land area of just 316 km2, having hardly any natural resources except for the sun, sea, stone – and the ‘Grand Harbour’, whose deep waters and capacious shoreline has, over centuries, made it attractive to naval and commercial shipping taking advantage of its geostrategic positioning. The island is densely populated with over 1455 people per km2, compounded by an additional 143 tourists per km2.1 This distinctive combination of features, with complexities condensed into a small-territory context, presents a singularly fascinating case study within which to examine evolutionary patterns of tourism and critical development points in order to obtain insights into what may shape the future of a destination such as Malta.