The New York Post Calls Malta Europe’s Most Overcrowded Island

The New York Post has described Malta as Europe’s most overcrowded island destination, warning that the country’s growing popularity with tourists could eventually come at a cost.

Citing a recent study by travel platform BookRetreats, the US publication reported that Malta has the highest tourism density in Europe, recording more than 38,000 overnight stays per square kilometre—well ahead of every other island included in the rankings.

The newspaper said that while larger destinations such as Mallorca attract more visitors overall, “no island concentrates tourism quite like Malta”, pointing to the country’s small size of just 316 square kilometres.

The article also highlighted viral footage shared by the Overtouristed Malta Instagram page, showing crowded streets in Valletta and heavy congestion at popular attractions. It referenced claims from the page that Malta is “too small for over four million tourists a year” and described peak-season conditions as overwhelming for many residents.

One of the examples cited was the Blue Lagoon in Comino, where summer crowds previously reached around 12,000 visitors a day. The Post noted that Maltese authorities have since introduced a booking system and visitor cap to help protect the site.

Quoting the BookRetreats report, the publication warned that destinations such as Malta “weren’t built for millions of visitors a year”, adding that the growing protests against overtourism across Europe show that “the way we travel needs to shift”.

Despite those concerns, the New York Post also noted that Malta is aiming to increase annual tourist arrivals to 4.5 million by 2034, raising questions about whether the island can continue to grow its tourism industry without losing what makes it unique.

Do you agree with the New York Post’s assessment?

READ NEXT: Detention Services Agency CEO Kyle Mifsud Resigns

Dylan Attard

Dylan Attard is a Social Media Executive at Lovin Malta and a proud Gozitan with a passion for digital media, content creation, and social trends. Outside of work, you’ll usually find him at the gym, watching series or doomscrolling.