Hotels and other tourist accommodation in September saw an increase of 10.5% in arrivals, compared to the same month last year.

The NSO said this morning that total arrivals in collective accommodation amounted to 130,421.

The average length of stay during the month stood at 6.4 nights.

Increases were recorded in the five, four and three-star hotel categories, while two-star hotels and stays in other collective accommodation registered a decline.

The overall net occupancy rate in collective accommodation establishments, stood at 70.4 per cent, with an increase of 6.7 percentage points when compared to last year.

During September, arrivals in Malta alone advanced by 11.2 per cent, while total nights rose by 13.6 per cent, with a resulting increase in the average length of stay. Increases were also noted for Gozo and Comino. The occupancy rates in Malta and Gozo (and Comino) stood at 70.6 per cent and 65.1 per cent respectively.

The overall net supply of bed-places in Malta was 39,283, up by 877 units when compared to the corresponding month last year. Bed-places in Gozo and Comino dropped slightly to 1,702. At a national level, the net number of bedrooms increased by 450