The Travel and Tourism industry has always been an important part of the Maltese economy. Between the late 1960's and the 1970's Malta experiences an exponential growth in its tourism market which was at its height in 1980. This growth can be attributed to investment, business, and interest from foreign nations such as Britain.
Statistics: Labor supply (2007 average) - 148,314 (full-time) Total tourist departures (2007) - 1,243,510 Guest nights (2007) - 11, 016,993 (average length of stay: 8.9 nights) Total tourist expenditure - 1.6 billion euros Cruise passengers (2007) - 488,170 Bed-stock - 44,013 beds (38,345 in collective accommodation) Gainfully occupied in hotels & restaurants - 9,486 (full time) ; 8,384 (part- time)  | Malta's Tourism Strategy:
The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) is constantly developing its structures and operations to maintain Malta’s position in the competitive tourism market. To do this and increase the value of tourism to Malta’s economy, the MTA has adopted a ‘motivational-centred’ marketing approach. The MTA recognizes that identifying the motivations for travel is crucial when trying to attract more tourists to Malta. According to Lubbe (1998) “an individual’s motivation to travel begins when s/he becomes aware of certain needs, and perceives that certain destinations may have the ability to serve those needs.”
The 5 key motivations the MTA has identified for attracting tourists
include:
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