The latest quarterly report from the European Tourism Commission (ETC) shows that Malta is one of the top tourist countries in Europe, approaching pre-pandemic tourism in May 2022. ETC revealed that Malta is only lagging behind the pre-pandemic numbers as the number of visitors is expected to increase and Malta could reach 2019 levels during the summer months. Similarly, Italy, Greece and Croatia almost reached pre-pandemic numbers in May. On the other hand, tourist hotspots such as Spain and Portugal have rebounded to pre-epidemic levels.
Although Malta failed to reach pre-pandemic levels in May, the number of visitors to the country in August is expected to increase as the country has announced plans to lift COVID-19 entry restrictions – Malta authorities announced earlier this week that the country would lift its entry restrictions on July 25. Once the restrictions are lifted, all travellers will be allowed to enter Malta, even if they do not have a certificate of vaccination, rehabilitation or testing.
According to ETC's forecast, Europe will recover 70% of pre-COVID-19 travel demand this year. ETC President Luis Araujo said after the quarterly report: "With the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, there is a desire to make up for the lost travel opportunities in these two years, and we are also witnessing a much faster rebound in European tourism than expected. "Still, staff shortages could be an obstacle to a full recovery. The first priority for the European tourism recovery in the coming months is to bring back talent and make careers in the industry more attractive.
Araújo added: "It is also important for the EU to continue to monitor the impact of inflation on the cost of living – Europe must do everything in its power to ensure that ordinary Europeans are not unable to travel. "So far this year, visitor numbers in Bulgaria (-8%), Serbia (-10%) and Turkey (-14%) have rebounded the strongest. On the other hand, Due to its geographical proximity to Russia, Latvia's tourism industry has recovered more slowly from the outbreak (-63%).