Sustainable tourism development in the EU Mediterranean region : a focus on coastal tourism in Malta

Abstract

The objective of this dissertation is to assess the role of the European Union in ensuring that sustainable coastal tourism is achieved in the Mediterranean region. The focus of this dissertation is on Malta in the context of EU policy. Several climate change related impacts on coastal tourism and the impact which the tourism industry has on coastal areas are assessed. The key research questions being investigated are: what role is the European Union playing in safeguarding sustainable coastal tourism development and boosting blue growth in the Mediterranean? The answer to this questions helps us to identify what climate actions are being implemented to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change in the Maltese tourism industry, and the impact of EU Eco-label in promoting eco-friendly practices in the tourism accommodation sector in Malta, which is a major contributor to the carbon footprint of the tourist industry. This research adopts a qualitative analysis approach, where a series of semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders were conducted. The data collected from the semi-structured interviews, coupled with an analysis of the EU funded projects concerning sustainable coastal tourism development and the relevant scholarly literature helped in the elaboration of the results. The main research findings indicate that the EU is on the right track in rethinking the tourism industry to achieve sustainable tourism development in the Mediterranean basin. Further findings also the indicate the potential blue energy has in contributing to Malta reaching its international target on renewable energy, and that further efforts needs to be conducted in the accommodation sector in order to contribute to Malta’s primary objective to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.