Total arrivals and nights spent in hotels during March advanced by 8.5 and 4.9 per cent respectively when compared to the corresponding month last year, the National Statistics Office said this morning.

Total arrivals in hotels during the month under review numbered 108,550, while total nights spent amounted to 569,243.

All hotel categories recorded increases in total nights spent, except 4-star hotels. The latter still maintained the largest share of guest nights, accounting for 279,937 nights, or 49.2 per cent of the total.

The average length of stay in hotels went down from 5.4 nights in March 2013 to 5.2 nights during the month under review. The net use of bedplaces
stood at 50.5 per cent, up by 3.9 percentage points when compared to last year.

On a national level, there were 149 active collective accommodation establishments during March, with a net capacity of 17,104 bedrooms and 37,421 bed-places.

On average, each establishment had 2.2 beds per room.

January-March 2014
Total arrivals and nights spent during the first quarter rose by 10.5 and 2.9 per cent over the corresponding period last year, reaching 262,612 and 1.4 million respectively.

Nights spent by non-residents went up by 2.6 per cent, whereas resident nights went up by 6.9 per cent. The occupancy rate for the quarter under review was estimated at 43.0 per cent, 1.9 percentage points more than last year.

Regional Figures: January-March 2014
Total arrivals in Malta numbered 247,973, up by 10.5 per cent over the first quarter of 2013.

Additionally, a rise of 2.7 per cent was recorded in the number of nights spent. Meanwhile, the average length of stay edged down by 0.4 of a night to 5.4, when compared to last year.

The net occupancy rate advanced from 41.6 per cent to 43.6 per cent.
Total arrivals and nights spent in Gozo and Comino increased by 10.8 and 9.9 per cent, and stood at 14,639 and 39,116 respectively.