Repeat tourism in Malta : an evaluation

Abstract

The study sets out to evaluate the concept of repeat tourism in Malta within the last five years. Taking into consideration the recurrence of repeat tourism in Malta; local data showed clear evidence of a downward trend in repeat visits. The research was conducted with the use of foreign literature on repeat tourism, data gathered by the National Statistics Office (NSO) and the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), and the researcher’s survey and interview questions. Thanks to the investigative tools just mentioned, the study was able to spot and identify useful factors that have had a direct contribution to the repeat tourism of Malta. The factors identified contributed to both the decrease and pull factors of repeat tourism. Amongst these factors, it was shown how the general appearance and cleanliness of Malta, public infrastructure such as public transport and traffic, and demographic factors such as overpopulation will dissuade tourists from repeat their visit. On the other hand, the uniqueness and quality in products and services serve as a positive affirmation of a future visit. The downward trend in repeat visitors hints at a bleak future, yet the analysis sets a hopeful and optimistic tone to the future of Malta’s tourism and repeat tourists. By recognizing the contribution of repeat tourism, Malta still has the opportunity of seeing a shift towards an upward trend of repeat tourism.