Best September ever for tourism

September’s tourism figures have kept up the record breaking trend set this summer.

“Last month was the best September ever recorded,” Tourism Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco said yesterday, saying the 150,000 visitors surpassed the figure for the same month in 2008, which was a bumper year for tourism.

The number, released by the National Statistics Office, signifies an increase of 15.2 per cent in tourist arrivals over September 2009. It is also the fourth consecutive month of this year that has registered a record number of visitors.

Together, they spent 1.3 million bed nights on the island – an increase of 22,000 over September of last year and 11,000 over the same month in 2008.

Dr de Marco said the figures proved the government’s strategy to boost the industry was working. “The number of new routes to Malta has increased to 76 – we marketed heavily and the results are there.”

The figures were also boosted by the recent conference, organised by cosmetic company Oriflame, which attracted 5,000 delegates to Malta for seven days, adding 21,000 bed nights with their stay in four and five star hotels across the islands.

Tourism has been markedly good all year, with 1.05 million visitors arriving up to September – 13 per cent more than in the same period last year and slightly more than the 1.045 million up to September 2008.

Expenditure also increased by 22 per cent between January and September, totalling €914 million, the NSO said.

“We need to keep on working for these figures as it is a very fragile industry,” Dr de Marco cautioned.