As a chilling new wave of protests are already erupting across Europe’s tourism hotspots, British holidaymakers are being warned of another summer of chaos.
Anti-tourism activists in Tenerife torched and smashed up the windows of hire cars at a resort just last month, while slogans reading ‘Tourists go home’ are spray-painted across walls in Athens.
But while the likes of Spain, Italy and Greece are giving British tourists the boot, there is one small Mediterranean island not too far away that is welcoming them with open arms.
Just 17 miles long and nine miles wide, the tiny island of Malta is urging Brits to ditch the countries shoo’ing them away, and instead visit their mini paradise, as locals say ‘the more, the better!’
In fact, a wander around any corner of Malta quickly reveals just how fondly the Maltese embrace British culture.
The aptly named ‘Tourist Street’ on the island’s St Paul’s Bay area is lined with rows of British-themed pubs from ‘Diana’s’ to the ‘Red Lion’.
And they aren’t just tourist traps marketed for Brits abroad, they are enjoyed by holidaymakers, expats and Maltese locals alike – with pints as cheap as £2.75 (£3.20).
Elsewhere in the capital of Valletta, a tall statue of Queen Victoria reigns supreme in Republic Square.
While the likes of Spain , Italy and Greece are giving British tourists the boot, Malta is welcoming them with open arms
Graffiti in Athens which reads ‘Tourists enjoy your stay in the cemetery of Europe’
Malta’s streets were lined with British and Royals-themed pubs
Diana’s in Malta’s St Paul’s Bay area is run by a Maltese family and is adorned in Diana memorabilia
And just across the water from there, Sliema’s seafront is filled with traditional pubs again taking their names after the Royal Family.
Marisa Farrugia, a Maltese local who manages the busy Red Lion Pub in St Paul’s Bay, said Brits feeling pushed away elsewhere should pick Malta for a warm welcome.
It was only 4pm when MailOnline visited the pub – which is filled with merch from English football teams – and local expats and Brits making the most of the Easter holidays already filled the room.
‘We get a lot of British tourists in here’, Ms Farrugia said.
‘The more we have, the better for us!
‘I think tourists feel more welcomed in Malta, the locals are more friendly here.
‘If they’re not welcome elsewhere because of anti-tourism, hopefully people will come here more.’
‘Just come from the airport straight to here’, she joked.
The walls of the pub, like many in Malta, is covered in football scarves, and behind the counter are pints of Guinness that can be snatched for just £4.80 (€5.50).
Marisa Farrugia, a Maltese local who manages the busy Red Lion Pub in St Paul’s Bay, said Brits feeling pushed away elsewhere should pick Malta for a warm welcome
The Red Lion Pub, also situated in St Paul’s Bay, is visited by tourists, British expats and Maltese locals alike
A statue of Queen Victoria stands tall in the capital Valletta’s Republic Square
Last month, protest were held across 40 Spanish cities over housing issues exacerbated by overtourism in the country
The area is home to a large British expat community, and during the summer is filled with tourists staying at the high-rise resorts along the coast.
And Maltese locals know they need and thrive off the high levels of tourism.
Ms Farrugia said: ‘I don’t think we have any anti-tourism feelings here. People rely on tourism here a lot.
‘I remember when Covid hit and the airport closed here, for years it was literally like a ghost town.
‘There was nothing, we had nothing, without the tourists we had nothing.
‘It’s very important for us.
‘I think this year is going to be even busier, because even during winter this year we’ve been busy.
‘Usually from about November to February we are quieter, but this year we’re still busy.’
Last year, a record 3.56 million tourists visited Malta – a figure more than six times the Maltese population of 563,000 – with Brits making up the largest tourist group.
The island also has a large British expat community of around 15,000, with many situated in the St Paul’s Bay area.
Ms Farrugia said: ‘I don’t think we have any anti-tourism feelings here. People rely on tourism here a lot’
Tourists and locals dining at one of the many outdoor restaurants and pubs in the capital
On a day in early April, the streets of Valletta were already rammed with tourists from across Europe
A large cruise ship docked at the harbour in Valletta
Graffiti reading ‘kill a tourist’ was spotted on a wall in Tenerife amid Spain’s anti-protest movement
Messages sprayed on to walls in Athens by locals urging tourists to ‘go home’
Richie Allsop, 37, made the move from Huddersfield to Malta about 10 years ago and has never looked back.
He said: ‘The locals are amazing, so welcoming, so friendly. Everybody is generally so lovely.
‘They want more tourism. They want more.
‘I’ve seen it about Spain, I’ve seen it all over the news where they say “don’t go to Spain they’re going to hate you”.
‘But here, they want them here.
‘When it was Covid here a lot of places didn’t realise how much they relied on the tourists, because they thought “oh the bread and butter will come in”.
‘Well the bread and butter was the tourists, that was it. When it was only shops that could open, the souvenir shops were open, for nothing, nobody was going in. It was heartbreaking.
‘So they want more tourism.’
Comparing the popular tourist destination to its less welcoming counterparts, Mr Allsop said: ‘I’ve been to Spain, I’ve been to Greece, I’d never have lived there.
‘I don’t find them welcoming countries, even before they started this anti-tourism business.
‘They just weren’t very welcoming to the tourists, to the English people specifically, because I guess Brits have got a reputation of Brits abroad.
Richie Allsop, 37, who made the move from Huddersfield to Malta about 10 years ago, says the locals are more welcoming than other tourist hotspots such as Spain
Inside the Red Lion Pub, where pints of Guinness can be bought for €5.50
The Queen Elizabeth II Pub in Sliema. The owners also run another Queen Elizabeth Pub in Sliema, as well as a Queen Victoria Pub in Valletta
A view of boats and yachts at Valletta’s harbour
‘I understand it in other countries, they don’t like it. But in Malta, we do need it because we don’t have anything else.
‘We’re all hotels, all apartments, all AirBnBs, they embrace it here.
‘All my friends are mostly Maltese, which shows how welcoming they are.’
While the summer peak is yet to arrive, tourists are already flooding the streets of Malta.
In Valletta, the main Republic Street is rammed with people crowding around the town’s gelaterias and souvenir shops.
The iconic dome of Valletta, the Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, stands tall in the background as restaurants and bars spill out onto the streets with outdoor seating.
Meanwhile, day cruises and boats from the ports at Sliema and Mellieha transport visitors across to the isles of Gozo and Comino.
British holidaymakers Shana Sandal, 34, and Kaytee Holgate, 32, were enjoying their tour of the country’s many golden beaches as they told MailOnline: ‘We’ve been to Italy, and they’re all more rude in Italy than you’d get here.
‘We’ve loved it in Malta, we’ve said it’s our favourite place we’ve been in Europe actually.
‘Its been a lot friendlier than say Italy.
A view of the iconic dome of Valletta, the Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, from Sliema
British holidaymakers Shana Sandal, 34, and Kaytee Holgate, visiting from Leeds, said Malta was their favourite destination in Europe
The Blue Lagoon, on Comino, where cruise boats take hundreds of tourists to visit
Inside the Salisbury Arms pub in Sliema, where football scarves are hung up across the ceiling
‘I also think Spain is too British now, whereas Malta still has an element of culture.
‘What we’re saying is “don’t tell anybody how nice it is!”
‘We’d definitely come back here.’
While the Maltese seems to be much more hospitable to tourists, there are still issues over the housing market and overcrowding on destinations such as Comino that do not sit well with locals.
However, most residents told MailOnline of how they are aware the island is heavily reliant on tourism and they do not wish to ‘bite the hands that feed them’.
Julian Bonnici, who runs Amphora Media, an investigative journalism platform, told MailOnline: ‘There is an issue with tourism in Malta. But it’s a bit of a Catch 22.
‘Tourism is a massive industry here and it is sort of the lifeblood of the country.
‘But tourism is rising and rising. Parts of it irritates locals but because it is such a big industry people just accept it.
‘I think it’s a bit of a “don’t bite the hand that feeds you” situation.
‘In Malta we’re not really ones for civil disobedience.
‘You don’t get people protesting against AirBnBs here like in Spain because there are a lot of people making money out of it. Even if you don’t, you probably know a friend or relative that does.
A sign for Diana’s Pub in St Paul’s Bay has a black and white photograph of Princess Diana
Alongside the sign is a list of beers available at the pub
A view of Senglea, a fortifed city in the Port region of Malta. It is one of the Three Cities in the Grand Harbour area
MailOnline spoke to locals who said they welcome more tourists as the economy heavily relies upon it
‘The Maltese people also tend to buy their property, so they aren’t as affected by the rental market as in say Barcelona.’
Further down Tourist Street in St Paul’s Bay, just a few doors over from the Elvis Tribute Lounge, is Irish pub Murphy’s.
As MailOnline visit, the pub is awaiting its daily influx of customers.
Angela Petrovic, a 22-year-old from Serbia who moved to Malta eight years ago with her family works at the pub part-time while studying.
Speaking from behind the counter, she said: ‘We get a lot of British expats and locals who come here. During summer it gets busier with tourists.
‘You get the older crowd who live here, you get British people, Irish people, some Scottish people.
‘You get a lot of Brits who come here for say three months at a time, go back for a bit, and then come back. During the winter period usually.
‘The Maltese are welcoming towards tourists. The whole island depends on tourism so they kind of have to.
‘After you lose something you see how much it meant. During the Covid times it was a sort of wake up call for them, because they didn’t approve visas for a lot of people so they lost a lot of people working in the hotels and waiters and stuff like that.
‘So they noticed that the island needs people and the island depends on tourism.
‘They used to give vouchers of 100 euros to go and dine at a local restaurant after Covid.’
Angela Petrovic, works at Murphy’s Irish Pub in St Paul’s Bay, where many expats and locals flock to watch sports games
Pictured: An outside view of Murphy’s. During the summer months, the outdoor area is filled with tourists as well as locals
Just a few doors down from Murphy’s is situated an Elvis Tribute Lounge
The walls of the British Salisbury Arms Pub in Sliema, where pints are sold for just £2.70
Tourists at one of the many souvenir shops situated along the main streets of Valletta
The British theme also runs through the streets of Valletta, where the Queen Victoria pub stands.
Savic Milena, 28, is an assistant manager at the pub, which is filled with portraits of the queen, said: ‘The owner is Maltese but he loves Brits and the British culture so he did it up like this.
‘We live for tourism here in Malta, this is how Malta survives. We rely on it.
‘We’ve got classic pub food here and a range of special lagers.
‘Loads of Maltese people come here because they love it, they love that typical British pub feel.
‘It’s actually mostly the Maltese who come in, but Brits come in too when they pass by and realise the name.’
‘We have cheap pints and wines. It’s always packed.’
On the other side of the harbour in Sliema, the owner has two Queen Elizabeth pubs.
Savic Milena, assistant manager at the Queen Victoria Pub said: ‘We live for tourism here in Malta, this is how Malta survives’
An outdoor view of the Queen Victoria Pub, which was bustling inside on a weekday afternoon
Another souvenir shop in Valletta called ‘Island Life’ where tourists can buy good from sunglasses to hats and bags
The ‘London Gastropub’ which serves a mix of traditional British drinks along with Asian food
And the British expat community is so far integrated that the Royal British Legion bar in Valletta is frequently visited by the Maltese as well as Brits.
Maria Agius, who runs the bar, is from Birmingham but moved to Malta at a young age with her family as her father was Maltese.
She told of the hospitality in Malta: ‘I moved here back in 1976 and I love it. It’s such a nice and friendly country.
‘If you need help with anything, they are always willing to stop and help you.
‘The only problem is it is getting too overcrowded with restaurants and boutique hotels and so the residents are leaving Valletta.
‘And when residents can’t afford the rent any longer, instead of bringing in another set of tenants, they turn it into a boutique hostel.’
Meanwhile, in Qawra, the expat community can meet at the British Residents’ Association Library, where they sell books and birthday cards for charity.
Maria Agius runs the British Legion bar in Valletta. She moved to Malta in 1976 and says she ‘loves it’
The bar is visited more so by Maltese locals than the British, though Ms Agius says when British tourists pop by as well
Ms Agius said the ‘only problem is it is getting too overcrowded with restaurants and boutique hotels and so the residents are leaving Valletta’
Gillian Thompson, pictured with her dog Biscuit, moved from Rothbury to Malta 16 years ago
Gillian Thompson, from Rothbury, has lived in Malta for 16 years.
Part of the Royal British Legion, she organises poppy donations across Malta. She also crafts cards to be sold at the British Residents’ Association Library, for which proceeds go to charity.
Sat outside the library with her dog Biscuit, she said: ‘I came on holiday here about 40 years ago and loved it.
‘Then when I retired, I took early retirement after working as a nurse, and I found somewhere to stay here for a year.
‘But I knew within three or four months that I wanted to live here.
‘It’s a much easier way of life. We’re locals nearly now.
‘You’ve got British expat communities in St Paul’s Bay, Sliema, St Julian’s, Mellieha, Gozo.
‘I would say 99 per cent of people are friendly. We don’t really find any anti-British sentiment anywhere here.’
