Brian Decelis
Malta’s tourism sector has long been singled out for supporting jobs and driving economic activity. The current model, built primarily on ever-increasing visitor numbers, is not sustainable anymore. Some would suggest that it never was sustainable.
We are reaching a consensus that the tourism industry in Malta is operating beyond its carrying capacity. All year round we are facing crowded residential streets, overstretched utilities, rising waste problems and localities losing the characteristics that supposedly attract tourists in the first place.
Across Europe, cities are responding to similar pressures with the simple goal to reclaim public space for people who live there. Their actions offer practical guidance for Malta.
In Florence, the authorities recently banned outdoor dining on dozens of narrow streets after resident complaints about congestion, noise and obstruction. In Barcelona, the city strengthened enforcement of outdoor areas’ licensing to prevent businesses from occupying more pavement than they were permitted. In Amsterdam, a crackdown on cafés extending their tables and chairs beyond allowed limits succeeded in restoring pedestrian areas.
When tourism-related activity begins to overtly impact everyday life, governments step in with enforced policies to restore balance. Moreover, Malta’s small size makes it particularly vulnerable to the cumulative effects of mass tourism.
Malta’s infamous blackouts during heatwaves are further compounded by adding seasonal power use surges from millions of visitors, pushing the system toward frequent overload.
A tourism model based on high occupancy levels means hotels, pools, laundries and accommodation blocks consume disproportionate amounts of water compared to residential use.
Sewage odours in certain coastal areas during the summer is a sure sign that the sewage and wastewater treatment systems are operating beyond capacity.
Tourism contributes heavily to waste generation, with plastic packaging and food waste rising sharply in holiday months, leading to overflowing bins, litter and pressure on waste collection. Traffic and air pollution worsen as rental cars, shuttle buses and tourist transport saturate roads. For residents, this means slower commutes, worse air quality, and increasingly inaccessible streets.
When tourism disrupts our daily way of life, the country loses the very qualities that make it attractive in the first place
The rapid conversion of residential properties into short-let accommodation has brought havoc in many areas, such as Swieqi and parts of St Paul’s Bay, with higher noise levels, increased transient populations and loss of community cohesion.
In most cases, local councils are not even properly consulted on any projects that may bring in more visitors to their localities, as we have seen recently in the supposedly ‘Marsascala regeneration’ with the proposal to introduce a fast ferry service in its bay. Moreover, residents’ interests should always trump any other consideration.
The eco-tax needs to be strengthened by ensuring that revenue is channelled directly to local councils, allowing them to manage waste, maintenance and public services during peak seasons.
Local councils also need to be consulted when any change of use in residential buildings is proposed, with suitable restrictions placed on short-let conversions.
The debate is not about rejecting tourism; we need to reassess the long-term tourism growth strategy projections that aim for millions more visitors without considering environmental and infrastructural limits.
When tourism disrupts our daily way of life, the country loses the very qualities that make it attractive in the first place. Nearly 3.5 million tourists visited Malta in the first 10 months of 2025.
A carrying capacity study that reputable consultancy firm Deloitte had carried for the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association in 2022 had established that almost five million tourists would be needed to fill up the accommodation supply at 80 per cent capacity.
This is madness: Malta cannot possibly receive that number of visitors.
What we need to determine is how many tourists Malta can reasonably host without degrading our quality of life or environmental stability. A sustainable model requires planning, restraint and the willingness to say ‘enough’ when systems reach their limit. The longer Malta waits, the more difficult the adjustments will become.
Brian Decelis is ADPD-The Green Party public relations officer and candidate for Marsaskala.
