Tourstat data reveals that inbound tourism in October 2009 was estimated at 124,332, a decrease of 2.1 per cent when compared to the corresponding month in 2008. The total nights spent were estimated at 964,926.

Departing tourists: October 2009

A total of 124,332 tourists visited Malta during October 2009. A majority of 104,746 tourists visited Malta for holiday purposes while an additional 11,596 came for business purposes . A decrease equivalent to 3.0 per cent was recorded in the number of first-time visitors, while repeat tourists remained comparatively stable. Air transport remains the most popular means of reaching Malta with an estimated 99.4 per cent of total tourism.

Results show that most inbound tourists resided in EU member states and amounted to nearly 90 per cent of the total. In October, departing tourists to the United Kingdom remained practically unchanged when compared to the corresponding month last year. The Italian market performed strongly, while drops where registered from the French and German markets.

During the same period, guest nights in collective accommodation recorded a drop of 6.7 per cent, while total nights spent in private accommodation decreased by 3.1 per cent. Overall, the average length of stay was calculated at 7.8 nights, down by 0.3 nights when compared to October 2008.

January-October 2009

The number of inbound tourists for this period were estimated at 1,060,674, down by 9.5 per cent over the corresponding period in 2008. In absolute terms, this change is mostly attributable to a decrease in holiday visits, mainly from the British, German and Scandinavian markets. On the other hand noticeable increases were recorded in the Italian market.

During the reference period demand for both package and non-package trips decreased by 11.8 and 7.5 per cent respectively. The largest proportion of inbound passengers were between 25 and 44 years old (36.4 per cent). These were closely followed by those within the 45-64 age bracket and amounted to 36.1 per cent of the total. Overall, the majority of tourists visiting Malta remain for a period of at least seven nights.

Total nights spent over the past 10 months decreased by 9.8 per cent when compared to the same period in 2008. The number of guest nights in collective accommodation registered a drop of 13.1 per cent, while total nights in private accommodation decreased by 1.7 per cent. The average length of stay was estimated at 8.5 nights.

In the period under review, total tourist expenditure was estimated at €836.4 million, a decrease of 12.6 per cent in comparison with 2008. Decreases were recorded throughout all expenditure categories.

Finally, results indicate a total per capita expenditure of €806, down by 3.0 per cent when compared to 2008. This drop was mostly attributed to a decline in per capita package expenditure, while other categories remained comparatively unchanged