Analysts have suggested that the Malta Tourism Authority adopt a cautious approach over climate change warnings by a Deutsche Bank (DB) study, that predicts Maltese tourism will be the worst affected by 2030.
Ecologist and physicist Edward Mallia said the DB report’s predictions were based on “very respectable science, certainly as far as the outlines are concerned.”
But last Wednesday, MTA spokesperson Kevin Drake told MaltaToday there were “no hard facts confirming that this is exactly what will happen,” referring to predictions that Malta will be the net loser among European countries when intolerable heat will start driving tourists away.
Drake said there was “only so much one can do about global warming. In the event of knowing for sure this is what is going to happen, we would have to change our entire business model”.
“Contrary to what Kevin Drake said, there are by now a number of ‘hard facts’ which point in that general direction,” Mallia said.
“There is a general scientific consensus that temperatures in the Mediterranean are already approaching the limit of what can be considered as comfortable for ‘seaside and beach holidays’. After 1995, summers have had numerous periods with air temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius. Such conditions are bound to become increasingly uncomfortable for holiday makes on our small and crowded beaches,” he added.
Sociologist Rev. Joe Inguanez, who heads the Catholic Church’s research institute Discern, called Drake’s observation “quite dangerous” and “both superficial and short-sighted.”
“Malta should put more stress on its cultural heritage, incentive tourism, the friendliness of the Maltese people… and the sense of relaxation experienced by tourists due to our low crime-rate.”
Inguanez also said the DB’s comments that Mediterranean countries focus on seaside and beach holidays “highly questionable… In Malta’s case, the sea is excellent, though our beaches are small, hence beaches are hardly the main attraction… levels of education are going up by the day. This will definitely create greater demand for destinations offering unique archaeological and historical sites, artistic attractions, cleanliness, a good health system and so on. It is on these lines that Malta should develop its tourist industry, without, of course, neglecting its beautiful natural and anthropological environment.”
On his part, developing on last Wednesday’s comment, Drake said: “From what one gathers when reading the report, Malta appears to be put at par with a number of Mediterranean destinations renowned primarily for their ‘Sun and Sea’ offer. The assumption is made that Malta is also, first and foremost, a ‘sun and sea’ destination. This reveals, amongst other things, certain misconceptions about what Malta and our tourism offer, also evident elsewhere in the report. That is why, one assumes, everything needs to be considered in its proper perspective.”
The new junior minister for tourism, Mario de Marco, said he does not want to pass judgement on the report’s credibility. “It is to be pointed out however that the conclusions are based on two wrong assumptions namely that Malta is simply a summer sea destination, which it is not, and that Malta relies on tanker ships for its water supply which it does not.”
De Marco however said the findings did raise global warming concerns: “The report stresses that it is those countries in the Mediterranean region which focus on seaside and beach holidays that risk losing their attraction, whilst cultural tourism remains independent of climatic factors. In this respect it is observed that Malta is no longer marketed exclusively as a summer sea destination but rather as a country whose selling point is its diversity in that the tourists in Malta enjoys not just the climate but also its culture, history, architectural heritage and hospitality of its people.”
De Marco said it was the highly industrialised nations that were ultimately responsible for global warming, saying they should “implement all possible measures in the coming years aimed at reversing these effects or, at least, slowing them down considerably.”
De Marco said the government has always been “at the forefront in international fora and conferences aiming to take measures to curb global warming” but that Malta alone cannot solve the threats of climate change.
“This is a global problem that requires global solutions and co-operation of the major industrial countries in the world.”

ddarmanin@mediatoday.com.mt