Have We Become a Country of Moaners?

Two years ago, around this same time of year, I shared my views on the need for Malta to shift its tourism strategy—moving away from prioritising sheer volume and instead focusing on attracting quality tourists.

A key indicator of quality tourism is spend per capita. For context, in 2022, spending per capita stood at €871. This increased to €888 in 2023, €906 in 2024, and €956 in 2025. This upward trend is certainly encouraging. However, it’s still below the €975 recorded in 2021 (NSO, Malta).

One contributing factor to this could be Malta’s growing reputation as a party island, which naturally appeals to younger generations. Statistics support this: the 0–24 and 25–44 age brackets were the fastest to recover post-pandemic and continue to grow year on year. In contrast, older age groups have not returned at the same pace. It would be interesting to explore how much this demographic shift is impacting our ability to improve per capita spending.

On the other hand, the sheer number of tourists Malta is attracting is unprecedented. Compared to just over a decade ago, inbound tourism has increased by approximately 165%. Total expenditure has grown by approximately 145%, rising from €1.3 billion to €3.3 billion. These figures clearly show that Malta’s tourism sector is booming.

Yes, one can debate numbers, quality, overpopulation, infrastructure challenges—you name it. But the fact remains that tourism is pivotal to Malta’s economy. It provides thousands of direct job opportunities for locals and foreigners alike. At the same time, this dependency also makes our economy more vulnerable, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pre-COVID, Malta was registering a budget surplus, which helped cushion the devastating impact of the crisis on the tourism industry.

Of course, we have every right to voice our concerns. No one wants to spend an hour in traffic to cover a few kilometres. We want a better quality of life. But let’s not ignore the significant contribution this sector makes to the country’s economic well-being. It not only supports direct employment but also sustains a wide range of indirect jobs—from painters and designers, to insurance companies, waste contractors, taxi drivers and many others. Without this sector—even with its congestion and noise—many families wouldn’t have the income they rely on.

Let’s have the discussion. Let’s seek balance, plan the way forward, and make the necessary tweaks. But we must never risk undermining the very sector that continues to support Malta’s economy.

So before we complain, before we let daily frustrations take over, we should ask ourselves:

Do we have a stronger sector to rely on? Are we genuinely worse off—or are we thriving, and simply privileged enough to afford to moan?