Holiday accommodation guests up almost 20 per cent

Those staying in hotels, holiday apartments and guesthouses shot up by nearly 20 per cent in June when compared to the same month last year.

The National Statistics Office said 128,090 stayed in such establishments during the month, a 17.7 per cent increase. Some 120,549 of these were tourists.

The total amount of nights guests spent, 744,320, also rose, up by a significant 15.9 per cent.

Tourists stayed for an average of 6.5 nights, a 0.2-night drop over last year, while the stays of local residents averaged 2.2 nights, a figure which remained unchanged.

Accommodation establishments were more than two-thirds full overall in June, with the occupancy rate standing at 66.9 per cent, or 9.6 per cent more than last year. Some 64.5 per cent of occupants were tourists.

The figures for arrivals and the average length of stay were virtually on par with what was recorded for May. However, the occupancy rate went up by over six per cent.