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Karl Agius et al.

It has been confirmed that the quality of the ecotourism venue has an impact on the level
of ecotourist satisfaction. In some cases, the human impact has been so great as to jeopardise the
level of wilderness expected by ecotourists even at distinct sites identified as appropriate for
ecotourism. This suggests that such large islands are not ideal for hard ecotourists. Policymakers
involved in ecotourism development in such destinations should thus work to identify high-
quality sites and focus promotion and ecotourism products on such venues, especially those with
limited human impacts. Management is also necessary to limit human impact and restore affected
areas within such sites. Furthermore, extension of terrestrial protected areas in the Maltese
archipelago and marine sites on Pantelleria should be seriously considered following
socioeconomic studies and in conjunction with awareness campaigns. As described by Rampini
(2016), genuine involvement of the local community in the setting up an MPA on Pantelleria
is necessary. Meanwhile, decisions to repurchase of ecotourism products, repeat visitation,
intention to revisit the islands, and positive recommendations all confirm the potential of such
islands to serve as ecotourism destinations. The results additionally confirm that even if they are
small and are at times characterised by anthropogenic impacts, such islands have strong natural
elements that are sought after by ecotourists, giving them the opportunity to immerse themselves
in nature and fulfil their expectations.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all participants of the study.

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