May tourist arrivals up by 21% over 2009

Non-resident arrivals and nights increased by 24.7 and 19.7% respectively when compared to 2009. Increases were recorded throughout all hotel categories as well as in the ‘other collective accommodation’ category. The average length of stay for non-residents stood at 5.9 nights, while that for residents was calculated at 2.0 nights. Resident arrivals and nights registered minor drops. The average length of stay during this month stood at 5.5 nights. The overall net occupancy rate in collective accommodation establishments stood at 58.3%, up by 9.6 percentage points when compared to last year. During the month under review, the non-resident occupancy rate was 56.3%, while resident occupancy remained almost unchanged from last year and stood at 1.9%. In total, a significant increase was noted in the occupancy level of four-star hotels, an underpinning factor to the rise in hotel occupancy. In May, arrivals and nights in Malta advanced by 21.1 and 18.1% respectively. Increases were also noted with regard to Gozo and Comino. The occupancy rate in Malta stood at 59.1%, while that for Gozo and Comino was estimated at 42.6%. The overall net supply of bed-places in Malta was 36,454 beds, 1.5% less when compared to the corresponding month last year. Bed-places in Gozo and Comino stood at 1,939 beds, a growth of 11.2% when compared to May 2009.