Application bid European Region of Sports 2020

in competitions. It is envasiged that if the pandemic is behind us by 2023, Malta will host two major events, the Games of Small Euroopean natuions and the UEFA Under 19’s which will boast the Sports Tourism both in spectators and in participants.

Diving is a well-established tourism segment for Malta, having a share of approximately 6% of the total tourist flows into the country. Football training camps, athletics and a host of other events already attract varying quantities of visitors to Malta and some of these activities possess strong prospects for growth in the near future. The Central Region contributes continouslytowards this growth.

The organisation of events also contributes to attracting sports tourists to the destination. Every year, Malta hosts a number of international sport events including the 'Middle Sea Race' held annually in October and the ‘Malta Marathon’. Held every year in late February or early March, this race attracts a number of international competitors and approximately 1,400 entrants participate.

The Malta Marathon held its first edition 41 years ago, finishing by the coastline in Sliema, the participating athletes run through the streets of other cities of the Central Region such as Ta’ Xbiex and Gżira. During the past two years the Malta Marathon was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the organisers have targeted the 6th March for the 2022 as the date of the first postpandemic marathon.

Another event which attracts Sport Tourism to Malta is the 93 km Malta to Sicily, International Swimming Relay Race which starts from San Ġiljan to Modica and back. This event attracts swimmers as far as down under, Australia.

As already mentioned, tourism is a major industry to the economy of Malta and its Central Region because of its strategic position in the center of the Mediterranean Sea. Coastal tourism is another great promoter of the Maltese tourist activity, backing a new modality known as Beach Plus committed to combining the beach with other activity such as Surfing and Sailing which in the Central Region is very popular with other products of natural tourism.