Assessing the impacts of international football tournaments on Malta's tourism industry

Abstract

The study is concerned with the impact international football tournaments have on Malta's tourism industry. The research uses a mixed method approach consisting of qualitative and quantitative research tools. This is achieved by the distribution of selfadministered questionnaires amongst visiting supporters during national team matches and games of the UEFA U17 European Championships and also interviews with various entities which contribute towards or are affected by football tourism in Malta. These include the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), Malta Football Association (MFA), and Seabank Resort & Spa representing the hospitality sector. The Turkey U17 national team was also interviewed in order to have the point of view of the professional sports tourist as well. The outcomes offer an understanding of the main characteristics and trends of the football tourists visiting Malta and how these are affecting the tourism industry. Moreover, the study shows the policies and actions that the concerned entities have been employing and explores their plans for the future. Results show that football tourism offers high quality tourists in the low and shoulder months and the market has potential to flourish even further as football can be the reason why a visitor might find the need to travel.