Tourist arrivals fell by more than a tenth in the first half of the year when compared the same period last year.

Moreover, fewer tourists visited last month in comparison to July 2008 and their stay was shorter.

The National Statistics Office said arrivals fell by 12.8 per cent in the first six months, mainly because of drop in tourists from Britain, Germany and Scandinavia.

The figures continue to confirm the negative trend in the industry, which has been especially hit by the global financial downturn across Europe.

Arrivals from Italy, Libya and Switzerland increased but, overall, this July saw a drop of 9.2 per cent over last year, representing some 135,700 tourists. Total nights spent decreased by eight per cent.

The trend towards shorter breaks was also evident in the first six months, which saw a drop of 12.2 per cent in the nights spent here. The average length of stay was 8.1 per cent, the same as last year.

Spending was down overall but held up on a per-tourist basis. Survey results, in fact, indicate that per capita total expenditure is estimated at €770, up by 0.3 per cent in comparison with 2008. Total tourist expenditure was €478.1 million, down 12.4 per cent.

The majority of tourists chose non-package travel with the demand for package trips contracting by 12.4 per cent.

Most tourists were between 45 and 64 years old, followed by those in the 25- 44 age bracket. Together, they made up 73.7 per cent of the total.