Tourist arrivals in March reached 97,800, an increase of 7.3 per cent when compared to the corresponding month in 2013, the NSO said today.

A total of 74,445 inbound visits were carried out for holiday purposes, while a further
12,525 were undertaken for business purposes. Most inbound tourists came from EU
Member States, while tourists from Non-EU countries increased by 26.6 per cent. The
largest proportion of inbound tourists were aged between 45 and 64, followed by those
within the 25-44 age bracket.

Total nights spent were marginally down from last year, reaching 686,558. In absolute
terms, the majority of guest nights were spent in collective accommodation establishments.
Total tourist expenditure was estimated at €73.4 million, an increase of 8.7 per cent over
the corresponding month a year earlier. When compared to the previous year there is an
increase in the number of tourists with a short duration of visit and in the number of business trips. This was reflected in a lower average length of stay and higher total expenditure.

January-March 2014

Inbound tourism during the fi rst quarter amounted to 232,624, an increase of 7.0 per cent
over 2013. Total nights spent by inbound tourists went up by 4.3 per cent, reaching nearly
1.8 million nights.

During the period under review, total tourism expenditure was estimated at €176.6 million.
This estimate is 7.8 per cent higher than that recorded for the same period in 2013. Total
per capita expenditure stood at €759, practically at par with the previous year