Total guests and nights spent in collective accommodation establishments during January 2017 advanced by 17.1 and 9.0 per cent respectively when compared to the corresponding month in 2016, the NSO said today.

In January, total guests in collective accommodation establishments numbered 86,854, while total nights spent amounted to 452,373. 5-star and 2-star hotels were the only collective accommodation categories registering decreases in total nights spent. The largest share of guest nights was reported in 4-star hotels, accounting for 218,360 nights, or 48.3 per cent of the total.

The average length of stay in collective accommodation establishments went down to 5.2 nights in January 2017 from 5.6 nights in the same month of 2016. The net use of bed-places stood at 40.9 per cent, up by 2.4 percentage points when compared to the corresponding month last year.

On a national level, there were 156 active collective accommodation establishments during January 2017, with a net capacity of 16,303 bedrooms and 36,546 bed-places.

Regional breakdown

Total guests in Malta numbered 83,621, up by 17.9 per cent over January 2016. Additionally, an increase of 9.1 per cent was recorded in the number of nights spent. In Gozo and Comino total guests decreased slightly to 3,233, while total nights spent went up by 2.6 per cent to 8,727 when compared to the comparative month last year.

In Malta, the average length of stay edged down by 0.4 of a night to 5.3, while that in Gozo and Comino edged up by 0.1 of a night to 2.7, when compared with the same month last year. The net occupancy rate in Malta advanced by 2.5 percentage points, reaching 41.8 per cent, and that in Gozo and Comino rose by 0.4 percentage points to 19.4 per cent over the same month of 2016.