Sport Tourism in Malta: Getting off the Beach

One of the long-term advantages of the small archipelago state of Malta is that it has a very small supply of sandy beaches. This means that, unlike many other warm-water island states, the dominant island tourism model in Malta has never been driven by ‘sun, sea and sand’ tourism. Beaches remain popular, especially in the peak summer months; but it is scuba diving and snorkelling off rocky sections of the coastline, where marine life is more abundant, that is a more popular activity with locals and tourists alike. Additionally, various non-beach-based sport and leisure activities have emerged. These include walking, jogging, running, cycling, abseiling and geocaching, across the many trails and relatively rural areas of the country. These initiatives have also been fuelled by Malta’s involvement in international films and TV series that have highlighted the unique terraqueous topography of the islands; and they tend to attract environmentally friendly tourists who are more respectful of the natural environment. Being a small island state with a very high population density, however, means that the enjoyment of such rural and marine sport tourism can encroach on, and interfere with, private interests and practices (such as hunting and trapping).