Malta Tourism Figures Released

Tourist arrivals in May were up 2.5% over May last year, maintaining the upward trend of the previous two months after a dip in the first months of the year. The figures for May show a drop in arrivals from the UK which was outweighed by sharp increases in arrivals from Germany and Italy. The NSO said tourist arrivals in May reached 133,659. Total nights spent by tourists rose by 12.1 per cent, bringing the average length of stay to 7.5 nights.

Holidaymakers comprised the absolute majority of inbound tourists, and registered an increase of 7 per cent. However, a notable decrease was observed among those travelling for business purposes, the NSO said. In line with previous months, 87 per cent of inbound tourists came from EU Member States and in particular from the euro area. Tourists from outside the EU increased over last year, reaching 17,936.

The main market for inbound tourists remained the UK, with a share equivalent to 30 per cent of the total. Second was the Italian market, with a share of 12 per cent. The British market registered a decrease of four per cent, while Germany and Italy experienced increases of 14 and 19 per cent, respectively. During May, inbound tourists spent a total of over one million nights in Malta, up by 12 per cent when compared to 2011. In absolute terms, the majority of guest nights were spent in collective accommodation establishments and in particular in hotel accommodation. Nonetheless, a substantial increase of 30 per cent in the use of private accommodation was recorded.