Repositioning Malta as a cultural heritage destination

Purpose – This paper aims to examine how Malta seeks to reposition itself as a “cultural heritage” tourist destination. After pursuing an expansion in its tourist industry in the 1970s, by the 1990s a sense of crisis prevails, due to the realization that irreversible environmental degradation is damaging the islands with regard to both the cultural heritage and ecological environment. This case study of Malta focuses on the conditions that prompt a policy of environmental intervention. The paper shows how a policy of change results from three main factors: pressures brought from various stakeholders, the availability of funding, and a sense that failure to act will have serious detrimental consequences.Design/methodology/approach – The paper gives an account of recent historical background to explain the case of Malta's tourism. Governmental policy documents, press articles, promotional tourist literature, interviews with experts, and relevant stakeholders in the cultural and educational sphere form the b...

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