Tourist arrivals in May jumped 10.1 per cent compared to the same month last year, according to official figures. 

The National Statistics Office said 164,929 trips were made for holiday purposes, while a further 13,072 were undertaken for business.

Tourists from EU states went up by 9.4 per cent to 166,426 when compared to the corresponding month of 2015. The largest proportion of tourists was aged between 25 and 44, followed by those within the 45-64 age bracket.

Total nights spent went up by 6.6 per cent when compared to May 2015, amounting to 1,265,130 nights. The largest share of guest nights (65.1 per cent) was spent in hotels.

Total tourist expenditure was estimated at €154.4 million, an increase of 5.0 per cent over the corresponding month of 2015.

January-May 2016

Tourist arrivals from January to May amounted to 636,812, an increase of 10.7 per cent over the same period in 2015. Total nights spent by inbound tourists went up by 8.5 per cent, surpassing 4.4 million nights.

Total tourism expenditure was estimated at €486.9 million, 6.4 per cent higher than that recorded for 2015. Total expenditure per capita stood at €765, a decrease of 3.9 per cent when compared to 2015.

Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis welcomed the results, saying Malta appeared on course for another record year in tourism.

He said the industry faced the challenge of maintaining the British market - Malta's biggest - despite Brexit.

He also noted growth in other course markets notably Scandinavia, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and US. 

He urged all stakeholders to work together for the common good. 

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