Ash cloud brings fewer tourists but strands many here

The ash cloud which disrupted air travel over Europe in April caused a slight dip in tourist arrivals but bed nights increased because other tourists were stranded here.

The National Statistics Office said that tourist arrivals in April totalled 100,539, while total nights stood at 745,693.

This was a drop of one per cent in arrivals but an increase of five per cent in total bednights.

The NSO said this was the result of the cloud of ash from an Icelandic volcano, closing a large area of northern European airspace for several days.

The cloud restricted air travel reducing the number of visitors but it left inbound tourists stranded, leading them to extend their stay. A shift towards travel by sea was also noted.

German and British tourist arrivals were adversely affected, registering a drop of 33 and six per cent, respectively.

On the other hand, Italian tourists recorded an increase.

While the majority of tourists visiting Malta were holiday-makers, business tourism registered a decline.

The increase in total nights was mainly attributed to private accommodation, while guest nights in collective accommodation decreased by one per cent.

In contrast, considerable increases were recorded in private accommodation.

Inbound tourists during the reference period were estimated at 286,758, an increase of four per cent in comparison with 2009. Overall, this change was mostly attributed to an increase in holiday visits, mainly from the Italian, Spanish and Scandinavian markets.

Decreases were recorded in the German and Swiss markets.

The majority of tourists opted for non-package travel. Package trips recorded a slight increase unlike the figures observed during the first quarter.

The largest proportion of departing tourists were aged between 45 and 64. These were followed by those in the 25-44 age bracket.

Furthermore, the majority of tourists were first-time visitors, albeit an increase of three per cent in the number of repeat tourists was observed.

Between January and April, total nights spent by tourists increased by six per cent.

Guest nights in collective and private accommodation increased by six per cent and five per cent, respectively.

The average length of stay stood at 7.8 nights, up by 0.1 when compared to last year.

During the period under review, total tourist expenditure was estimated at €214 million.

This translated into an increase of 12 per cent over 2009. Increases were recorded throughout all expenditure categories.

Results indicate that per capita total expenditure was estimated at €758, up by seven per cent when compared to 2009 levels.