There was an increase of 17.5 per cent in the number of tourists visiting Malta in July when compared to the corresponding month last year, the National Statistics Office said.

It said that according to Tourstat statistics, the total nights spent in Malta also increased by 17 per cent.

During this month, inbound tourists were estimated at 159,519, the majority of whom were holidaymakers.

As in previous months, most inbound tourists came from EU Member States, while tourists from non-EU countries advanced 38 per cent.

The main markets were the UK and Italy.

Inbound tourists spent over 1.5 million nights in Malta, with an average length of stay estimated at 9.7 nights, at par with last year's level.

Guest nights in collective accommodation increased by 14 per cent, while total nights spent in private accommodation rose by 24 per cent.

Inbound tourists for the first seven months reached 710,199, up by 12 per cent when compared to the corresponding period last year.

Increases were recorded in both the number of repeat tourists and in the number of first-time visitors. No change was noted in the average length of stay, the number of tourists choosing short stays of up to three nights increased by 27 per cent, while tourists staying for more than seven nights went up by four per cent.

On a gender basis, male tourists exceeded females, and accounted for 52 per cent of the total.

The majority of tourists fell within the 45-64 age bracket, followed by those in the 25-44 age group.

During the reference period, total nights spent increased by 11 per cent, reaching nearly 5.7 million nights. Nights spent in collective and private accommodation advanced by 11 and 12 per cent, respectively.

During the period under review, total tourist expenditure was estimated at €569 million, up by 18 per cent over 2009 levels.

Increases were recorded throughout all expenditure categories. Total per capita expenditure stood at €801, 5.3 per cent higher when compared to the corresponding period last year.