December made its fair contribution to making 2010 a record year for tourism with an increase of 7.5 per cent in the number of inbound tourists compared to the same month last year, according to National Statistics Office figures.

More than 1.3 million visitors visited Malta between January and December, an increase of 13 per cent over 2009 and an all-time high, the NSO said. They spent an estimated €1.1 billion here, 22 per cent more than in the previous year and another record. Total nights spent were up 12 per cent.

In December alone, an estimated 53,735 visited. The number of first-time visitors rose by 15 per cent and accounted for 57 per cent of the total.

Total expenditure in December was estimated at €37.1 million, 15 per cent higher than the same period of 2009.

Nights spent in the same period increased by 7.8 per cent, clocking up a total of 428,030 nights.