“Lidl welcomes you to Malta,” reads one of the many ad hoardings decorating the arrivals lounge at Malta International Airport. I’ve a visceral hatred for that particular sign. It’s another reminder that holidays are over and that the greenery you’ve just enjoyed elsewhere is now nothing but a bittersweet memory and, of course, of the effects of aggressive economic models such as theirs on our land and communities. This is not the Summer of Love, as everyone has realised. After two years of lockdowns and false starts, lost time, money, social connections and hotel occupancy rates need to be recouped. All this must happen at breakneck speed, while the authorities persevere in their disorganisation and obstinate refusal to enforce. In the meantime, Malta has opened its arrivals lounge to hundreds of thousands of tourists looking to enjoy a few days of sun and sea. “Whatever you’re looking for in a holiday,” says the blurb on visitmalta.com, “a trip to the Maltese islands is an unmissable experience for any type of traveller”. Consider the plight of the average tourist: sweltering temperatures aside, the actual landing in Malta is but the first step in an odyssey that is as complex...