Tourism to the Maltese islands saw a 19.5% increase from 2023 to 2024, announced Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) CEO Carlo Micallef. Micallef revealed that over 3.56 million people visited Malta in 2024, a rise of more than 500,000 compared to 2023. This surge resulted in 22.9 million nights spent in the islands and €3.3 billion in total tourist expenditure. The amount spent by tourists increased by 23.1% compared to last year and by 48.2% since 2019. In 2024, Malta welcomed 3,593,788 visitors, surpassing the previous record set in 2023, when the island saw 3,008,629 inbound tourists. This marks a 29% increase in tourism since 2019, when visitor numbers stood at 2.75 million before the COVID-19 pandemic. (The Malta Independent)
Enough evidence for Yorgen Fenech, Ray Aquilina to face money laundering trial
A court has ruled that there is enough prima facie evidence for businessman Yorgen Fenech and former police anti-money laundering chief Ray Aquilina to stand trial for money laundering and corruption. Last week, Fenech attended court unescorted for the first time since being granted bail. For five years, he had been brought to court under armed guard from the Corradino Correctional Facility, where he was held in preventive custody following his 2019 arrest. Fenech is accused of complicity in the 2017 murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. He has pleaded not guilty. His bail was secured after his aunt, Moira Fenech, pledged her shares in the family business as a guarantee. He is required to attend all court hearings as part of his bail conditions. (Times of Malta)
EU warns Malta of potential financial sanctions on finch trapping
The European Commission has issued a formal notice to Malta over its latest finch trapping derogation, warning of potential financial sanctions. In October, the government renewed its derogation from the EU’s bird trapping ban, just weeks after the EU Court ruled the previous “research derogation” for seven finch species illegal. The Commission’s letter pointed out that the new derogation was nearly identical to the previous one, failing to provide sufficient justification for deviating from standard scientific methods in ornithological research. It also noted Malta’s failure to explain why alternative research methods were not considered. (Maltatoday)
