2% increase in tourist arrivals in first ten months

The National Statistics Office (NSO) added that during the January - October period, the total nights spent went up by 6.8% to nearly 1.3 million.

Total tourist arrivals during the first ten months reached almost 1.3 million, up by 2% over the corresponding period in 2011.

In absolute terms, the main origin of inbound tourism continued to be the British market, followed by the Italian and German markets.

Non-package travel was slightly higher than package travel, with an estimated 52% of total travel. Nonetheless, inbound tourists opting for package travel went up by 2% when compared to 2011.

Total nights spent during this period went up by 7%, reaching almost 11.3 million. The average length of stay for this period stood at 8.7 nights, up by 0.4 of a night over 2011.

In absolute terms, the majority of guest nights were spent in collective accommodation establishments.

During the same period, total tourist expenditure was estimated at €1.2 billion, up by 8% when compared to 2011.

Increases were recorded throughout all expenditure categories. The total per capita expenditure stood at €940 - an increase of 6% when compared to last year.

Meanwhile, Tourstat data for October showed inbound tourism at 152,572, an increase of 3.2% when compared to the corresponding month last year.

During October, 131,549 inbound tourist trips were carried out for holiday purposes, while a further 13,017 were undertaken for business purposes. Consequently, holidaymakers comprised the majority of inbound tourists, and registered an increase of 4% over last year.

Inbound tourism from EU Member States increased by 1%. This category represents a share of 85% of total inbound tourism.

Meanwhile, tourists from outside the EU increased by 20% to 23,419. The UK remained the main market for inbound tourism, with a share equivalent to 36% of the total.

The German market came second with 11%, despite a drop of 13%. The British market registered an increase of 9%. The French and Italian markets remained practically unchanged compared to last year.

Total nights spent during October were estimated at 1.3 million, up by 7% when compared to 2011. Overall, 65% of total nights were spent in collective accommodation establishments, with hotel guest nights recording a decrease of 2%.

Nonetheless, a substantial increase (19%) in nights spent in private accommodation was recorded. Overall, the average length of stay stood at 8.3 nights, up by 0.2 of a night when compared to October last year.

During the reference month, total expenditure was estimated at €139.6 million, a growth of 9% over last year. Expenditure on non-package travel advanced by 27%, while other expenditure increased by 10%. In contrast, expenses incurred by package travellers decreased by 5%.