Total inbound tourists for March 2024 were estimated at 240,851, an increase of 38.1 per cent when compared to the corresponding month in 2023, the NSO said Thursday.

During the month under review, a total of 214,826 inbound tourists visited Malta for holiday purposes, and 14,834 tourists came for business purposes. The largest share of inbound tourists were aged between 25 and 44 (35.3 per cent), followed by the 45-64 age bracket (32.8 per cent). British, Italian and Polish residents made up 44.1 per cent of total inbound tourists.

Total nights spent went up by 32.2 per cent when compared to March 2023, almost reaching 1.4 million nights. The largest share of guest nights (89.5 per cent) was spent in rented accommodation establishments. The average length of stay of total inbound tourists stood at 5.8 nights.

Total tourist expenditure surpassed €183.0 million, an increase of 44.8 per cent over the corresponding month in 2023. The average expenditure per night was estimated at €130.9.

The number of tourists visiting Gozo and Comino, including both same-day and overnight visitors, totalled 118,987, or 49.4 per cent of total tourists.

January-March 2024

Inbound tourists for the first three months of 2024 amounted to 581,839, an increase of 31.3 per cent over the same period in 2023. Total nights spent by inbound tourists went up by 17.7 per cent, surpassing 3.4 million nights.

Total tourist expenditure was estimated at €407.2 million, 30.4 per cent higher than that recorded for the same period in 2023. Total expenditure per capita decreased to €700 from €705 for the same period in 2023.

The number of tourists visiting Gozo and Comino, including both same-day and overnight visitors, totalled 271,976, or 46.7 per cent of total tourists.