Inbound tourists in November 2008 were estimated at 73,608, a decrease of 10.8% when compared to the same month in 2007. Year on year, total nights spent decreased by 14.6%.
The Tourstat survey indicated that the majority, 72,559 of tourists, came to Malta by air. There was a decrease of 11.3% in the number of air passengers when compared to November 2007.
Results also show that 78.7% of inbound tourists in November came to Malta on holiday, while a further 15.8% visited the island for business purposes.
Meanwhile, total nights spent decreased by 14.6% when compared to the same month
in 2007. Year on year, total nights spent in private accommodation increased by 21.1%, while guest nights in collective accommodation registered a drop of 23.5%.
Overall, the average length of stay is calculated at 7.3 nights, down by 0.4 nights when compared to November 2007.
Inbound tourists for the past eleven months between January and November are estimated at 1,245,717, implying an increase of 4.5% over the corresponding period a year ago. In absolute terms, the growth is mostly attributable to an increase in holiday visits, mainly from the Italian, German and Spanish markets. On the other hand decreases were recorded in the British, American and Scandinavian markets.
88% of all inbound visits comprised tourists coming from EU Member States. For the period under review, the main increase was registered among tourists having non-package holidays. On the other hand, the number of tourists having a package holiday decreased by 12.8%. The largest age bracket comprised tourists aged 45 and 64, followed by those in the 25 to 44 age bracket, albeit the largest increase can be attributed to the 0 to 24 age bracket.
Total nights spent increased by 1.7% when compared to the same period in 2007. Nights spent in private accommodation increased by 6.7%, while guest nights in collective accommodation registered a marginal drop. With regards to hotel accommodation, guest nights in the 5- and 4-star categories increased respectively by 4.8 and 0.2%, while the 3-star category registered a drop of 13.5%. The average length of stay is calculated at 8.7 nights, down by 0.2 nights when compared to last year’s level.
In the period under review, total tourist expenditure is estimated at €1,011.2 million, resulting in a decrease of 1.5% over the same period last year. The growth in non-package expenditure was contrasted by a reduction in package and other expenditure.
The survey results indicate that the per capita total expenditure is estimated at €824, down by 6.3% when compared to the corresponding period last year.
Any comments?
If you wish your comments to be published in our Letters pages please click button below. Please write a contact number and a postal address where you may be contacted.
Download front page in pdf file format
All the interviews from Reporter on MaltaToday's YouTube channel.
Wanted:
an independent voice News that GRTU director general Vince Farrugia has been approached to contest the MEP elections on behalf of the Nationalist Party will certainly raise eyebrows among those who have closely followed the industry lobbyist’s lengthy career...>>
