Malta hopeful of converting Gozo day trips into longer stays with new airfield
Ilaria Grasso MacolaGozo is hopeful new air connectivity with the Maltese mainland will help it convert day trips into longer stays and diversify its offering.
Gozo’s tourism authorities laid out their plans to extend stays at WTM London, focusing on the introduction of air links to La Valletta and investment in infrastructure to attract more niche tourism.
"We are not against day tripping, but we want to translate a ratio of that day tripping into longer stays,” said Ronald Sultana, director of tourism and economic development at Malta’s ministry for Gozo and planning.
"It will become more sustainable and we will be avoiding mass tourism.”
Gozo’s new rural airfield should open in late-2026, allowing small aircraft to operate daily services to and from mainland Malta and replacing journeys which currently take place by boat.
Sultana said this will help Gozo tap new market segments, including quick breaks and sports, with the airfield serving as a base for activities like skydiving.
"It’s not a big project, but it’s a sensitive one," he added. "It’s very important we implement it in the right way."
The Maltese island has also invested in upgrading its infrastructure and upscaling its accommodation offering by opening a new sports centre and by converting old, abandoned buildings into new boutique hotels.
"These are some of the different projects we’re trying to implement in order to turn Gozo into a destination that one can enjoy on a longer stay,” Sultana added.
It follows a 20% increase in tourist arrivals this year into the Maltese archipelago – Malta, Gozo and Comino – up by 600,000 this year to 3.6 million. The UK remains its largest market, followed by Italy.
"Malta is a destination of choice,” added Malta Tourism Authority chief executive Carlo Micallef. “We see it in the results we achieve and in the interest of UK airlines."
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