The number of tourists visiting Malta in January increased 10 per cent when compared to the same month last year, the National Statistics Office said.

The NSO said the number of visitors totalled 56,952, representing 436,450 nights.

An estimated 48,375 tourists visited Malta for holiday purposes, accounting for the absolute majority of arrivals, while another 6,780 tourists came to Malta for business purposes.

The majority of inbound tourists resided in EU states and were predominantly UK and Italian residents. EU residents comprised 88 per cent of the total. The number of non-EU tourists was estimated at 7,090.

First-time visitors made up the majority of inbound tourists, with an estimated 60 per cent of the total, an increase of 16 per cent when compared to corresponding month in 2009.

Total nights in January 2010 were estimated at 436,450, up by four per cent compared to the corresponding month last year. Guest nights in collective accommodation increased while total nights in private accommodation decreased.

The average length of stay was calculated at 7.7 nights, down by 0.5 nights when compared to January 2009.

The total expenditure during the reference month was estimated at €42.1 million, up by 17 per cent when compared to January 2009. Increases were recorded in the package and other expenditure categories.