Is Malta the Med’s New Hot Spot?

Statistics released by the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) for inbound tourism for the first half of 2018 certainly support the idea that Malta is the new hot spot for North Americans in the Mediterranean.

The sunny archipelago recorded 20,956 tourists, a 28.2% increase from the US market alone over the same January-June period last year, and 7,488 tourists, a 23.5% increase over the same period from Canada.

Why is Malta trending in the North American market? Michelle Buttigieg, MTA representative for North America, says that it can be attributed to several factors.

“An important part of Malta’s appeal to the North American traveller is that English is an official language. It is a safe, peaceful and stable EU democracy, with better vacation value than in other more expensive European countries,” she said.

Another compelling factor for the increase this year is due to the heavy promotion in the media of the year-round calendar of festivals and cultural events celebrating the fact that Malta’s Capital, Valletta, was named a European Capital of Culture 2018.