Summer 2025 brought stronger performance for Gozo tourism businesses, survey shows

A new survey by the Gozo Tourism Association (GTA) indicates that the majority of tourism operators experienced a stronger summer season in 2025, supported largely by foreign visitor demand and higher revenue levels across the sector.

The findings are based on responses from accommodation providers, restaurants, diving centres, tourist attractions, travel agencies, transport operators, consultants and other tourism-related businesses.

International visitors played a decisive role in improving performance. According to the GTA survey, 65.40 per cent  of operators said the foreign market had a positive impact on their business this summer, while only 11.50 per cent  reported a negative effect. When compared with the same period in 2024, 48.70 per cent stated that foreign market performance improved, with around a third reporting no change.

Domestic market remains stable

The Maltese market produced more modest results. A majority of respondents – 57 per cent – said domestic tourism had no significant impact, while 30 per cent experienced a positive effect and 13 per cent a negative one. When compared with last year, 64 per cent reported that Maltese tourist activity remained unchanged, showing that local demand has largely plateaued.

Businesses also reported improved financial outcomes. Most respondents described their summer revenue as “good” (61.50 per cent), while another 6.40 per cent  rated it “excellent”. When compared to summer 2024, 48.70 per cent recorded higher revenue, 30.80 per cent said revenue remained stable, and 20.50 per cent saw declines.

Among those achieving higher revenue, the top contributors were:

• Price increases (55.50 per cent)
• Growth in clientele (51 per cent)
• More effective marketing (42 per cent)
• New services or offers introduced (38 per cent)

These results suggest that both demand-side factors and strategic business upgrades played a role in revenue growth.

Persistent challenges continue to weigh on operators

Despite the positive summer, familiar pressures remained.

The most widely reported challenges were:

• Rising operating costs (63.30 per cent)
• Staff shortages (53 per cent)
• Growing competition (29 per cent)
• Administrative bureaucracy (26.60 per cent)
• Skills Pass requirements (20.30 per cent)

Only 9 per cent of respondents said they faced no major challenges over the summer months.

Operations largely steady, but concerns about “quality tourism” emerge

Operationally, most businesses remained stable, with 59.50 per cent reporting no change compared to 2024. Meanwhile, 38 per cent saw improvement and only 2.50 per cent reported a decline.

However, respondents expressed concern about the type of tourism Gozo is attracting. On the demand side, 74 per cent do not believe that Gozo is attracting high-quality tourists, while on the supply side, 63 per cent do not feel that Gozo is currently offering a sufficiently strong quality product. This signals a perceived mismatch between Gozo’s tourism offering and the expectations of higher-spending travellers.