Inbound tourism in October increased by 10 per cent compared to the same month last year, according to National Statistics Office.

An estimated 270,702 people visited Malta in October, of whom nearly the vast majority were on holiday.

Most inbound tourists - nearly four in 10 - were aged between 25 and 44, followed by those within the 45 to 65 age bracket.

The number of tourists from within the EU also increased by around nine per cent, reaching 223,813, according to the NSO.

Total nights spent went up by eight per cent when compared to October 2017, reaching nearly 1.8 million nights. The largest share of guest nights, just over half, was spent in collective accommodation establishments. 

Total tourist expenditure was estimated at €215.7 million, an increase of 3.3 per cent over last year.