Tourist figures grew by 10 per cent in the first year of a Labour government, Tourism Minister Karmenu Vella said yesterday.

Speaking at Ħaġar Qim, he said the increase was double the EU average and marked one of the island’s most successful performances in tourism. A record1.6 million visitors spent 13 million bed nights in the island last year.

The government, Mr Vella said, was now taking action to combat seasonality and, in fact, record growths were registered in all winter months, especially November, when the number of tourists rose by 14.5 per cent compared to the same period a year earlier.

He noted that airlines were operating 83 routes to Malta and other operations were in the pipeline. The number of air seats increased by 10.2 per cent and the government aimed for an all-year profitable growth. This, the minister said, would result in more full-time employment in the tourism industry, which made up 25 per cent of the island’s GDP.

Mr Vella said that about 20,000 people were directly employed in the industry, half of them working on a part time basis. Efforts were being made to recoup jobs lost in the industry in previous years.

He explained that 4,820 jobs were lost between 2008 and 2012.

The trend, however, had now been reversed and Mr Vella said that jobs in the sector grew between January and September.

Last year, the island won a number of tourism awards including the UK’s third favourite diving location, the Swiss Gold Award and Russia’s Best Island Resort Award.

Gozo was also named sixth best island destination by travel website tripadvisor.com.