Repositioning Malta as a cultural heritage destination

Purpose This paper aims to examine how Malta seeks to reposition itself as a “cultural heritage” tourist destination. After pursuing an expansion in its tourist industry in the 1970s, by the 1990s a sense of crisis prevails, due to the realization that irreversible environmental degradation is damaging the islands with regard to both the cultural heritage and ecological environment. This case study of Malta focuses on the conditions that prompt a policy of environmental intervention. The paper shows how a policy of change results from three main factors: pressures brought from various stakeholders, the availability of funding, and a sense that failure to act will have serious detrimental consequences. Design/methodology/approach The paper gives an account of recent historical background to explain the case of Malta's tourism. Governmental policy documents, press articles, promotional tourist literature, interviews with experts, and relevant stakeholders in the cultural and educational sphere form the basis for the authors' interpretation. Findings Governmental policy of investment in the environment is subject to resistance to change due to inertia, the costs of intervention and opposition from entrenched business interests. The role of opinion leaders, pressure groups and of volunteer‐run environmental NGOs is critical in exerting pressure on the government to adopt a policy of intervention to safeguard the environment and heritage as well as providing expertise and constituting agencies to whom the government can entrust the implementation of environmental projects. Originality/value The case of Malta as a small nation state offers indications that are not easily transferable but which shows the role of different stakeholders in the implementation of a policy of change.