A record number of people crossed over to Gozo for the Santa Marija holiday weekend, with the ferries carrying more than 70,000 visitors across the strait.

The figure, released by Gozo Channel yesterday, showed a rise of 4,652 over last year’s total, also a record.

Several thousands of those who flocked to the sister isle to unwind would have taken the opportunity to take a long weekend, swelling Gozo’s population and boosting its business.

“I’ve been going to Gozo for Santa Marija for 20 years. It’s like a national ritual. This year I got a full four days out of it,” said Matthew Vella, who was undeterred by the traffic that at times stretched back several kilometres.

Some 17,725 vehicles boarded the channel ferries last weekend – an increase in of 1,243 when compared to the previous year.

The ferries, mainly running a shuttle service, made 242 trips last week.

The chief executive of the Gozo Tourism Association, Joseph Muscat, said that while the figures were promising, they offered no concrete indication of how well the Gozo tourism business had fared as a result.

“Unless these figures are dissected we can’t tell what they mean. We need specialised tools to monitor tourism,” Mr Muscat said.

The association estimates as much as 40 per cent of day trippers’ spending stays in Malta in the form of booking commissions and other arrangements.

With a population of a little more than 30,000, Gozo’s economy is heavily dependent on the tourism industry.

Mr Muscat maintains that although the latest figures for the channel crossing augured well, the number of Maltese who own holiday homes as well as those who visit for fewer than 24 hours have a strong influence on the growth of Gozitan tourism.

“At least 75 per cent of Gozitan tourist accommodation is self-catering establishments and the number of Maltese who own holiday homes here is growing every year. These have a strong effect on the Gozitan tourism industry,” Mr Muscat said.