The Blue Lagoon in Malta is the latest travel destination to see action limiting the volume of visitors to a beloved natural and cultural site to protect it from overtourism.
On May 2, the Malta Tourism Authority announced that the number of daily visitors to the Blue Lagoon will be capped at 4,000 people daily. On some summer days last year, the lagoon saw as many as 12,000 visitors per day.
The cap is part of Malta’s new “Book, Protect, Enjoy” initiative, which now requires reservations to visit the Blue Lagoon, a natural pool between Comino Island and the island of Cominotto. Other efforts to improve the lagoon’s ecosystem include extended swimming zones, better waste management and sanitation facilities, and stepped-up enforcement of rules governing the lagoon’s use.
Around the World in Overtourism
Malta is just one of many destinations seeking to limit the impact of tourism on the environment and locals’ quality of life. In Greece, for example, the Acropolis has a daily cap of 20,000 visitors, and Ile-de-Brehat in Brittany, France, has limited daily visitors to the island to 4,700. In Japan, destinations like Kyoto, Mt. Fuji and Ginzan Onsen have also taken steps to reduce tourist visitation.
The city of Amsterdam recently capped overnight stays by tourists at 20 million annually and tightened regulation of short-term rentals. Barcelona will ban apartment rentals to tourists outright by 2028, and France, Greece, the Czech Republic and New York City are also working to limit the impact and use of short-term rentals.
Venice is among a number of destinations imposing new fees and taxes on day-trippers, and destinations also are cracking down on crowds and misbehavior at popular selfie spots like Rome’s Trevi Fountain.
Destinations like Dubrovnik, Croatia have limited stopovers by cruise ships. Norway and Bruges, Belgium, have also halted advertising campaigns to reduce their visibility on the tourism landscape.
