I’ve been going to the islands of Malta and Gozo annually for the past decade, and my favourite times to visit are in the spring and autumn. In the low seasons, the sunlight is more golden.
Spring brings yellow misoma, which speckles the landscape; autumn is the wine harvest. Tourism in the sunny Mediterranean archipelago of Malta is booming. Tolene van der Merwe of Visit Malta says: “Global 2024 arrivals to date have been fantastic.”
In the first three months of the year, foreign visitors accounted for 91 per cent of overnight stays in Malta, the highest among EU countries. Plus, expenditure by tourists was up 40 per cent in April compared to the same month in 2019 (the most successful year pre-pandemic). Despite this success, the action-packed islands are still seeking to attract tourists.
It’s not that Malta has previously been under-visited: there is, as on other islands, concern about the impact of a rise in tourism. Deloitte has projected there will be 3.2 million visitors to Malta this year, around six times the population.
Van der Merwe says: “It’s important to see how much the increase in arrivals is positively contributing to the Maltese economy.”
As it stands, directly and indirectly, tourism contributes around 30 per cent to Malta’s GDP.
For UK travellers, the weather is a major appeal. Annually, Malta basks in over 300 days of sunshine, and Malta Tourism wants to extend its peak season so that it runs from May to October, rather than just the high summer months.
It is also looking at the distribution of visitors, promoting both Malta and Gozo in tandem, so that tourists are not all concentrated in one area. Malta has recently seemed to reinvent itself as a party island, while not becoming the next Ibiza, because there’s far too much else going on here, too – from prehistoric sites to diving.
When choosing a European island for early autumn sun, Malta could also be one of the better value options. According to figures sourced for i by hospitality data intelligence firm Lighthouse, the average nightly price for a four-star room in September is €187.67 (£158.55) in Malta, compared to €263.16 (£222.33) in Mallorca’s capital Palma and €464.84 (£392.72) in the Greek island of Santorini.
And, with Malta, you get at least two islands in one (the third inhabited island of the archipelago is Comino, and there are five other uninhabited isles and islets making up the archipelago).
Malta and Gozo are like two halves of the same coin as they are so well connected: the ferries between the islands (45 minutes) run approximately every hour, even in the low season.
Major tourist-attracting events are spread out over the year. Take That are curating and performing in a four-day festival in Malta this October, when the weather will still be reliably sunny, yet tourist numbers are lower.
In the quieter month of November there’s the Valletta Early Opera Festival, and, in January, the Valletta Baroque Festival brings international classical stars to the city’s Baroque churches and theatre.
Patti Piazzi, who runs the boutique guest house ThirtySeven Gozo with her husband Giuseppe, moved to Gozo when it felt entirely off the beaten track, several decades ago. She has seen a steady increase in visitors.
“Gozo is always full, you feel the change on this no-longer-sleepy island, but the off-season period is still very beautiful and from September to November is stunning.”
She has noticed a trend: “It’s becoming more and more popular as a wedding destination.”
The number of foreigners’ weddings taking place here was steadily climbing pre-pandemic, up by a third in the decade to 2017, and people are now returning to get married in almost-guaranteed sunshine.
“Yachts are being rented for weeks and there is a very high demand; the most beautiful yachts in the world carry the Maltese flag.”
Malta sets its cap for yacht owners: good facilities in a stable environment, attractive chartering arrangements with few extra costs or restrictions, and an extremely scenic location between Sicily and Tunisia.
Although there has not yet been any concerted anti-tourism movement in Malta, as has been seen in Spain, concerns have been expressed in the national press and by its academics about the management of the increase in tourist numbers. One of the problems in Malta is haphazard development. Multiple blocks have been built – resorts such as Xlendi on Gozo – which risks ruining the very reason that people visit: unspoiled charm.
For now, Malta’s diversity of attractions – the al fresco dining, boat trips, and a colourful culture where every village has an annual party – lure many types of travellers. The yearly parties are a carnival of food stalls, local brass bands, religious processions involving the entire village, and fireworks; they’re rollicking events where everyone is welcome.
Meanwhile, Solemn Catholic processions punctuate the calendar, and boating and dining out are the lifeblood of this small, dynamic country.
Prehistory lovers can make a beeline to Malta’s ancient clifftop temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, and the Hypogeum, an unparalleled underground prehistoric burial site, as well as Gozo’s Ġgantija, all of which predate the Pyramids and Stonehenge.
If you like your history a little more recent, there are fascinating sites and museums relating to the Knights of Malta, who built many of the islands’ churches, palaces and towns. Elsewhere, the strategic role the island played in the Second World War is remembered in places such as the underground control centre, preserved in aspic, beneath Barrakka Gardens in Valletta.
As well as this wealth of cultural sites, Malta has an epically beautiful coast, at turns sandy and rocky, with the most scenic beaches including red-sanded Ramla and San Blas bays in Gozo, and the surreally bright waters of the Blue Lagoon in Comino, Malta and Gozo’s smaller sister island.
Despite areas of Malta being built up, there’s a surprising amount of space to roam, with rock climbing, hiking, and cycling popular around the islands in areas such as the lush Buskett Gardens on Malta, and all-around Gozo, where the roads are quieter.
Diving here is frequently voted the best in Europe. This is, in part, due to the wealth of historic shipwrecks, especially from the Second World War, as well as the ease of access to sites, the clarity of the water, and the many well-run diving schools. It’s another activity that’s not just a summer perk: the water is warm enough that diving is possible at any time of year, so fans can come here outside of high season – in fact, it’s preferable as you have the sea (largely) to yourself.
At a time when islands like Santorini and Mallorca are feeling the pressure, Malta is booming, too, but remains eager to welcome more people to its shores.
Offering the chance to bask in the sun almost year-round, plus a vibrant calendar of events and festivals, Malta’s message is clear: tourists are welcome.