Tourist arrivals grow by 18%

Tourist arrivals in October increased of 17.9 per cent when compared to the corresponding month last year. , the NSO said today.

Total nights spent during the same period advanced by 18.2 per cent.

The total number of visitors in October was 146,397, the majority of whom were holiday makers. Most inbound tourists came from EU Member States, with repeat visitors registering an 11 per cent increase.

Tourists from non-EU destinations were also on the rise and accounted for 13 per cent of the total for the month.

The main markets for incoming tourists were UK, Germany and Italy; however a notable increase was evident in the number of French tourists.

Non-package trips were the most popular among inbound tourists, with an estimated 53 per cent of the total.

Both package and non-package trips rose by 19 and 17 per cent respectively.

An increase of 6% was recorded in the number of tourists spending a minimum of seven nights in Malta.

Total nights spent during October were estimated at around 1.1 million, the majority of which were spent in collective accommodation establishments. This marked an increase of 18 per cent.

Total nights spent in private accommodation were 19 per cent higher when compared to the corresponding month last year.

January-October 2010

Inbound tourists in the first 10 months totalled 1.2 million, up by 13 per cent when compared to the corresponding period last year. Increases were recorded in the number of repeat tourists and first-time visitors.

The average length of stay stood at 8.4 nights, marginally down from last year's estimate. On a gender basis, male tourists exceeded females, accounting for 51 per cent of inbound tourists.

The majority of tourists fell within the 25-44 age bracket, closely followed by those in the 45-64 age group. Nonetheless, a significant increase was observed in the number of tourists under 25 years of age.

Total nights spent over the first ten months advanced by 13 per cent, surpassing the 10 million mark. Guest nights in collective accommodation establishments increased by 13 per cent, primarily spent in hotel accommodation. Nights spent in private accommodation were 12 per cent above last year's levels.

Total tourist expenditure was estimated at €1,034 million, or 23 per cent higher than that for the corresponding period last year.