Total inbound tourist trips for February were estimated at 74,516, an increase of 14.1 per cent when compared to the same month last year, according to statistics published by the National Statistics Office.

The NSO said 57,603 visits were for holiday purposes and another 8,282 for business purposes.

Tourists from EU states increased by 22.9 per cent to 64,457. Most were aged between 45 and 64, followed by those within the 25-44 age bracket.

Total nights spent went up by 6.6 per cent when compared to February 2014, reaching 529,340 nights.

Total tourist expenditure was estimated at €53 million, an increase of 12.8 per cent over the same month last year

Arrivals since the beginning of the year numbered 148,796, an increase of 10.4 per cent over the same period in 2014. Total tourism expenditure was estimated at €114 million, 10.6 per cent higher than that recorded for the same period last year.

Total per capita expenditure stood at €766, an increase of 0.3 per cent when compared to 2014.