Malta's tourism sector generated a record €3.9 billion in tourist expenditure in 2025 as visitor numbers surpassed four million for the first time, according to figures presented during the MHRA BOV Deloitte Quarter 4 2025 Hospitality Performance Presentation.

The data, presented by David Delicata, transportation, hospitality and services leader at Deloitte Malta, showed total tourism spending rose by 18.6% year-on-year - an increase of €613 million - while tourist arrivals reached 4,022,310, up from 3,563,618 in 2024, representing a 12.8% increase. Guest nights exceeded 25.4 million, rising by 2.5 million or 11% compared with the previous year, with collective accommodation accounting for 53% of all nights stayed.

Average spending per tourist reached €971, up 5.1%, while average daily spending rose by 6.9% to €153.48. The average length of stay stood at 6.7 nights. Leisure travel remained the main driver of demand, accounting for about 3.74 million visitors, while business travel represented around 176,000 arrivals, and other purposes about 101,000. First-time visitors totalled around 3.2 million, while repeat visitors reached about 650,000.

The United Kingdom, Italy and Poland remained Malta's largest source markets, while visitors from the United States, Switzerland and the Netherlands recorded the highest expenditure per night.

Eurostat data also showed tourism nights across the European Union reached 3.088 billion in 2025, up by 61.5 million nights or 2% compared with 2024.

The Deloitte survey, based on 52 hotels across the Maltese islands, indicated tourist arrivals rose by 16.8% in the fourth quarter alone, continuing the overall annual growth trend. Flight movements during 2025 reached about 65,500, an increase of 11.4% compared with the previous year, reflecting expanded connectivity and seat capacity, it said.

Hotel performance remained broadly stable, with five-star occupancy averaging 71% in 2025, up from 69.6% in 2024, while gross operating profit margins reached 31.9%, an increase of 2.6 percentage points. Average daily rates in five-star hotels rose to €219.3 for the year, up 4%, while revenue per available room increased by 5.2%. Four-star hotels recorded occupancy of 82.6% for the year, up from 80.5%, while three-star hotels saw fourth-quarter occupancy rise to 77.8%.

Addressing the presentation, Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg said the results confirmed Malta's progress in strengthening resilience and shifting towards higher-value tourism, noting that the strongest growth came from visitors aged 45 and over. He said future success should be measured through expenditure, bed nights and off-peak performance rather than arrival numbers alone.

Tony Zahra, president of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, said the sector must now focus on moving from volume to value by upgrading tourism products and improving the visitor experience. He also emphasised the importance of safety and stronger collaboration with authorities on destination management, including increased community policing presence in tourism areas.

Despite a slight decline in the average length of stay compared with 2024, forward booking trends for 2026 were described as positive, particularly for the second quarter, with the report concluding that Malta's tourism industry remains on a strong footing heading into the coming year.