Malta tops TUI water sports ranking as active tourism surges
Malta leads a new ranking of European water sports destinations, reflecting a broader boom in active tourism that now accounts for a tenth of global travel spending.
TUI Musement has ranked Malta as Europe’s leading island for water sports, edging out Tenerife and Madeira in an analysis of Google search data across more than 500 European destinations. The study, which measured interest in seven activities including surfing, diving and sailing, highlights a shift in traveller preferences towards active holidays rather than traditional beach tourism.
The findings underscore a lucrative trend for southern European economies. According to UN Tourism, active and sports travel now accounts for roughly 10% of global tourism spending. The segment is projected to grow by 17.5% between 2023 and 2030, representing a major commercial opportunity for coastal regions looking to extend their peak seasons and increase per-visitor spending.
Malta secured the top position with 157,800 combined searches, driven largely by its infrastructure for diving. Tenerife followed closely with 153,390 searches, benefiting from a year-round warm climate that supports surfing and snorkelling at locations like Abades Bay. Madeira took third place with 134,620 searches, buoyed by consistent Atlantic swells and water temperatures ranging from 18C to 24C.
Spain dominated the broader top ten rankings, claiming five of the spots. Alongside Tenerife, Lanzarote ranked fourth with 130,610 searches, attracting divers to the Museo Atlántico's underwater sculptures. Mallorca took fifth with 111,010 searches, driven by kayaking and snorkelling along the Sant Elm coastline. Fuerteventura, Ibiza, Crete, Sardinia and Cyprus completed the top ten.
The search data also reveals clear geographical specialisations across the continent. Greek islands such as Milos, Santorini and Rhodes lead in sailing interest, whereas Spanish and Portuguese islands capture the majority of surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing queries. Fuerteventura, in particular, emerged as the undisputed leader for both windsurfing and kitesurfing.
For tourism operators and regional governments, the data points to a clear commercial imperative. Destinations that invest in targeted infrastructure—such as established dive sites, marine reserves and reliable wind corridors—are successfully capturing a larger share of a rapidly expanding market. As competition for tourist revenue intensifies, differentiating an island through specific active tourism offerings has become an economic necessity.
