Maltese beaches more crowded than average bays in Europe

Sep 23 2022

According to a new study by the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA), Maltese beaches, like Comino’s Blue Lagoon and Golden Bay, are some of the most crowded in Europe.

The report entitled ‘The Carrying Capacity Study for Tourism in the Maltese Islands’ by Deloitte, found that every visitor to Comino could only ‘enjoy’ just 0.8 square meters of space.

This was not the peak tourism limit however, as the number would drop to a mere 0.5 when tourists and visitors start pouring in. With Blue Lagoon already in a worrying state, the situation is set to also worsen in other popular beaches.

‘Peak beach density for Maltese beaches are estimated to exceed the average for Europe (6.8 persons per sqm per day). Blue Lagoon and Golden Bay appear to be under particular stress’ the report reads.

Some of the top beaches which could see a worsening density per visitor ratio are Golden Bay, Mellieha Bay and even Gozo’s Ramla Bay.

Beaches are not the only areas facing such an issue, as the report claims that certain historic sites and tourism zones could reach peak visitor density rates. This could see the situation worsen in the same way Venice experienced.

Recently, demonstrations were held on Comino by activist group Moviment Graffiti, who protested against the takeover of the island by deckchair operators, aiding this increasing overload.

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Ryanair adds 5 brand new routes to Malta

Sep 23 2022

Airline Ryanair is to add five brand new routes to Malta, linking the Malta International Airport to 55 other airports by March.

The new destinations are: Bordeaux in France, Bournemouth in the south of England, Lisbon in Portugal, Shannon in Ireland and Stockholm in Sweden.

Speaking during a media conference, Ryanair’s Chief Executive Michael O’Leary stated that the market has made a great recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The five new destinations have been selected as the demand saw an increase in passengers wanting to come to Malta.

Addressing the pressures imposed by the Ukraine and Russia war, O’Leary said that the company strongly considers the European proposal for an environment-related increase in tax. It said it will still remain committed to providing the public the best service at the lowest rates possible.

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Giorgia Mae’s message to the world steals limelight at United Nations

Sep 23 2022

As Prime Minister Robert Abela addressed the United Nations, his speech was picked by Associate Press as one of the best five at the general assembly – all thanks to Giorgia Mae.

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A post shared by Robert Abela (@robertabela.mt)

Appearing on the feed of AP News among some of the voices that dominated, Abela’s speech featured Giorgia Mae’s encouraging message to the entire globe.

“I would like to conclude by conveying a message my 10-year-old daughter Giorgia Mae, who is here in the audience, wished me to pass on when I explained to her that I would be addressing this meeting of world leaders.

She said: ‘I would like the world leaders to be an example to us children and leave behind a beautiful Earth.’”

The UN General Assembly is the main policy-making organ of the Organisation. It essentially comprises all member sates and provides a unique forum to discuss all international issues. And Giorgia’s words had a chance to sound off in this massively important space.

Apart from her father giving speeches to gathered world leaders, Giorgia Mae’s mother Lydia Abela also took the opportunity whilst in New York to focus on sustainability in the fashion industry during a prestigious event.

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A post shared by Lydia Abela (@lydiaabela_la)

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Around 2,000 health and safety inspections carried out in 6 months

Sep 23 2022

On Friday, the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) confirmed that the first half of this year saw approximately 2,177 health and safety inspections carried out by health and safety officers.

They later confirmed in the statement that those inspections were then followed up by around 400 private meetings with people responsible for safety and health at the office or workplace in order to discuss and evaluate these inspections.

Between January and June, a number of workplaces – 357 to be exact – were given notices as to what needs improvement and how to address any problem which might arise regarding health and safety.

253 entities or people were given administrative fines for breaking or breaching any health or safety rules that a workplace must follow. Put together, these fines came up to a total of around €100,000.

Work was immediately stopped at 403 workplaces due to there being an urgent safety concern or dangers which were considered serious enough to lead to death.

The most common issues found by health and safety officers were precautions to prevent falls from heights, clients not going through with project supervisors orders or suggestions, and a lack of project supervisors on site.

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