News Travel Tourism: Sun Destination Exploring the Charms of Malta
With 50 language schools situated within a 2.5-hour flight from Paris, learning English in Malta has become more convenient than in London. Despite its former colonial ties, the British still lead in tourist numbers, closely followed by Italians. While the French visitor count had long remained stagnant at 30,000, dedicated efforts over two decades, notably spearheaded by former OT director in Paris, Dominic Micallef, have led to a remarkable increase to 258,000 visitors.
In 2019, tourism played a prominent role in Malta's diverse economy, contributing significantly to 13% of its GDP. This thriving industry, directly or indirectly employing 50,000 people, equating to 10% of the island's population, ranked among the top five contributors.
Despite experiencing a significant setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with only 968,000 visitors in 2021, Malta made a remarkable recovery, nearly reaching pre-pandemic levels with 2.3 million visitors in 2022. Remarkably, this resurgence was achieved without compromising the island's robust tourism sector.
Malta: Beyond Historical Sites Claude Zammit-Trevisan, the new director of the OT, firmly challenges the common perception of Malta as a destination primarily known for its historical sites, including ancient temples, cathedrals, and palaces. According to him, Malta offers much more than its rich history, emphasizing its dynamic contemporary lifestyle, a thriving creative scene, and an increasingly diverse international community that chooses Malta as a place to live and conduct business.