Tourist arrivals down by 10.6 per cent but more spent on accommodation

The number of tourists last month dropped by 10.6 per cent compared to the same month the previous year but those who visited spent more nights and money here.

Figures released yesterday by the National Statistics Office show the amount spent on accommodation in February increased by 24 per cent, indicative of a surge in the number of independent travellers visiting Malta.

The NSO said total arrivals last month stood at 51,244. The majority came by air; 78.4 per cent of inbound tourists were here on holiday and 15.1 per cent were on business trips.

Total nights increased by 2.9 per cent over the comparative month in 2008. More specifically, total nights spent in private accommodation increased by 4.5 per cent while guest nights in collective accommodation went up by 2.5 per cent. In hotels, the increase was of 9.2 per cent.

The average length of stay was 9.4 nights, up by 1.3 nights when compared to February last year.

The number of inbound tourists for both January and February was estimated to have reached 102,886, down from the 121,185 registered in the same months last year.

The NSO said the 15 per cent slump was mainly attributable to a decrease in holiday visits from all of Malta's main markets. There was a significant drop in the traditionally strong British market with nearly 7,000 fewer tourists and just over 4,500 fewer German tourists. On the other hand, increases were recorded in the Italian, Libyan and Russian markets.

Tourist expenditure reached €68.5 million, a drop of 14.6 per cent when compared to the same period last year. However, per capita spending rose by 1.2 per cent to €680 over the first two months of 2008.

For the period under review, the majority of inbound tourists chose non-package travel and the demand for package trips decreased by 22.1 per cent. Most inbound passengers were aged between 45 and 64, followed by those aged 25-44. Together the two categories made up more than three-quarters of total tourist arrivals.

In the same period, total nights spent decreased by one per cent when compared to the first two months of 2008. The number of nights spent in private accommodation grew by 3.9 per cent while guest nights in collective accommodation, which include guesthouses, aparthotels, hotels, hostels and tourist villages, decreased by 2.7 per cent.

With regard to hotel accommodation, guest nights in the five- and three-star categories increased by 12.9 and 35.2 per cent respectively while the four-star category registered a drop of 6.8 per cent.

Malta's performance compares to a drop of 14 per cent in tourist arrivals in Cyprus, a drop of 14.7 per cent in Egypt and 15.9 per cent in Spain in February on the back of a 10.1 per cent drop in January.