Tag: Comino
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Court orders fresh review of controversial Comino development permit
A Maltese court has ordered the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT) to reconsider its decision approving a major development on Comino, marking a significant turn in a long-running environmental dispute. The permit, originally granted by the Planning Authority, allows for the construction of a hotel, 16 villas and 44 swimming pools. The project, led…
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Gozo and Comino make up 4.3% of Malta’s GDP
According to recently released NSO statistics, Gozo and Comino made up 4.3% of Malta’s total GDP in 2024 (€992.9 million). Gross value-added increased by 10.4% and 8.7% respectively. GDP per capita in Gozo came at 59.8% compared to the Malta region which came at 103%. NSO statistics also state that Gozo is more dependent on…
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Man loses his life after tragic incident at Comino’s Blue Lagoon
A 43-year-old Englishman tragically lost his life following an incident at the Blue Lagoon in Comino. The accident occurred at around 1:00 PM when police were alerted that assistance was urgently needed after a man encountered difficulties in the water. The man had reportedly slid from a catamaran’s slide into the sea but soon found…
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Italian man, 35, dies after swimming incident at Blue Lagoon
This afternoon, at around 1:30pm, police were informed of an incident at Blue Lagoon, Comino. Initial investigations revealed that a 35-year-old Italian man found himself in difficulty while swimming. Lifeguards from the Emergency Response and Rescue Corps (ERRC) provided first aid on site before he was brought to MÄ¡arr Harbour and taken to Gozo General…
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Large tourist boats at Blue Lagoon under fire as Comino crowding debate intensifies
Moviment Graffitti has released a video highlighting what it says is the main driver of chaos at Comino’s Blue Lagoon – the arrival of large commercial tourist boats. The footage captures the transformation of the site from a serene nature reserve in the early morning into an overcrowded, noisy tourist hub by mid-afternoon. The group…
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Gozo and Comino attract over half a million tourists in 2024 amid shifting domestic and inbound trends
According to a recent report by the National Statistics Office (NSO), Malta’s tourism landscape in 2024 saw strong overall growth, especially in inbound tourism, with notable shifts in domestic travel patterns particularly to the Gozo and Comino region. A total of 581,440 tourists visited Gozo and Comino, accounting for both inbound and domestic tourism. The…
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Teen injured by boat propeller at Blue Lagoon
This afternoon at around 4:30pm, police were alerted to an incident at the Blue Lagoon in Comino. Initial investigations show that an 18-year-old Spanish woman suffered injuries to her leg after being struck by a boat propeller while climbing onto the vessel, which had its engine running at the time. She was assisted by lifeguards…
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Blue Lagoon overrun again as promised reforms fail to materialise, says Moviment Graffitti
Despite earlier promises by Minister Ian Borg to curb overcrowding and commercial exploitation at Comino’s Blue Lagoon, pressure group Moviment Graffitti has sharply criticised the lack of meaningful action ahead of the peak summer season. In a strongly worded statement, the group expressed concern that the situation at Comino has already reached unsustainable levels in…
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Environmental groups launch legal fundraiser to overturn controversial Comino hotel approval
Ten environmental and heritage organisations have united in a public appeal to challenge the recent approval of a major tourism development on Comino, warning that the project could lead to irreversible damage to one of Malta’s last natural sanctuaries. The permit in question, PA/04777/20, greenlights the construction of a 140-bed luxury hotel, 16 private villas,…
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Innovating surveillance with Comino tourism
One aspect of the story that was missed by the press about the newly introduced capping measures for Comino is that this will be one of the rare instances in which the government will be using a surveillance system on ordinary citizens. The system is supposed to ensure that only 4,000 visitors are on the…
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Hopes to save Comino fade away as up to 12,000 people will be allowed every day
Those who expected the new Minister of Tourism, Ian Borg, to implement a different and improved policy for Comino have been quickly disappointed, as the Malta Tourism Authority has issued its new visitor cap for next summer, allowing up to 12,000 people per day, with a maximum of 4,000 at any one time. The cowboys…
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The cowboys invade Comino before big boy Melo Hili ruins it with his hotel
Driving in Comino and on any garrigue and shrubbery terrain is highly damaging to Malta’s fauna and natural ecosystems, but readers can console themselves about the ongoing destruction in Comino with the fact that Hili Group will soon ruin it with its hotel. The government is currently limiting the number of people that can travel…
