Tourist arrivals up by 4.4% over September 2011

Total arrivals in collective accommodation establishments reached 141,913, with the majority staying in 4-star hotels. Total guest nights were calculated at 840,834, while the average length of stay stood at 5.9 nights. Increases in arrivals were noted in almost all accommodation categories with the exception of 3-star hotels, where a minor drop was recorded.

On the other hand, the number of nights spent in collective accommodation increased in all hotel categories when compared to last year. The 4-star hotel category took up the largest share of guest nights, and registered an increase of 2.3 per cent over last year.

The net use of bed-places in collective accommodation stood at 71.4 per cent, up by 0.8 percentage points when compared to 2011. Occupancy levels in 5-star hotels increased by 3.3 per cent, while 4-star hotel establishments recorded a drop of 3.5 per cent. Increases were also noted in other collective accommodation, where the occupancy level was 54.3 per cent.

On a national level, there were 156 active establishments during September. The number of bedrooms reached 18,091, while the number of bed-places stood at 39,256. On average there were 2.2 beds in each room, at par with the figure for 2011.

July-September

Total arrivals for the third quarter this year amounted to 437,037, up by 4.3 per cent when compared to last year. Increases in non-resident arrivals were noted throughout all accommodation categories, and totalled 402,541. Resident arrivals went up by 5.2 per cent to 34,496.

Total nights spent between July and September reached 2,869,387 - 3.0 per cent higher than last year. Nights spent by non-residents increased by 3.3 per cent, the majority of which were spent in 4-star hotels. In contrast, resident nights decreased by 6.0 per cent, and totalled 84,268.

The occupancy rate for the third quarter was estimated at 79.0 per cent - 1.5 percentage points more than last year. The occupancy rate in hotel accommodation stood at 82.4 per cent, while that recorded in 'other collective accommodation' establishments reached 60.8 per cent.

Regional Figures: July-September 2012 Total arrivals and nights spent in Malta totalled 411,146 and 2,756,523 respectively, while the average length of stay stood at 6.7 nights, at par with the average for last year. Nights spent by residents in Malta dropped by 5.2 per cent.

This was mainly brought about by a decrease in the 4-star hotel category. On the other hand, non-resident arrivals and nights spent in Malta increased by 4.0 and 2.9 per cent respectively, resulting in an average length of stay of 7.0 nights.

Non-resident arrivals and nights spent in Gozo and Comino numbered 14,881 and 87,716 respectively. Both figures registered increases when compared to the corresponding quarter last year. A sharp increase in non-resident guest nights was noted in 4-star hotels, which amounted to 54,880. Resident arrivals and nights in Gozo and Comino decreased when compared to 2011 levels, while the average length of stay remained at par with last year's levels at 2.3 nights. The occupancy rate in Malta went up by 1.4 percentage points, reaching 79.4 per cent, while that in Gozo and Comino stood at 70.0 per cent.