Tourist arrivals and nights spent in hotels during December 2014 advanced by 5.2 and 7.7 per cent respectively when compared to the corresponding month in 2013, the NSO said today.

Arrivals numbered 88,709, while total nights spent amounted to 430,209. All hotel categories recorded decreases in total nights spent, except for 4-star hotels. The largest share of guest nights was reported in 4-star hotels, accounting for 222,983 nights, or 51.8 per cent of the total.

The average length of stay was 4.8 nights, up from 4.7 nights in 2013.

The net use of bed-places stood at 40.7 per cent, an increase of 4.2 percentage points when compared to December 2013. On a national level, there were 143 active collective accommodation establishments during December 2014, with a net capacity of 15,838 bedrooms and 34,643 bed-places.

Total arrivals and nights spent in hotels during the fourth quarter rose by 2.4 and 2.8 per cent over the corresponding period a year earlier, to 342,521 and 1.8 million respectively.

Nights spent by non-residents advanced by 2.7 per cent, whereas resident nights went up by 5.1 per cent. The occupancy rate was estimated at 54.0 per
cent, 3.4 percentage points more than 2013.

January-December 2014

In 2014, total arrivals who stayed in hotels surpassed 1.5 million, 6.5 per cent more than 2013. Total nights spent went up by 3.3 per cent, reaching 8.8 million. The net use of bedplaces advanced by 3.2 percentage points, at 62.8 per cent.

(The Ministry of Tourism said total tourist arrivals last year were 1.7 million)