Inbound tourists for the first nine months of 2026 amounted to 3,599,493, an increase of 17.0 per cent over the same period in 2025, the NSO said Friday. Total nights spent by inbound tourists went up by 9.6 per cent, reaching 21.5 million nights.

Total tourist expenditure was estimated at €3,450.5 million, 13.9 per cent higher than that recorded for the same period in 2025. Total expenditure per capita decreased to €959 from €985 in 2025.

A total of 179,957 tourists stayed overnight in Gozo and Comino, equivalent to 5.0 per cent of all tourists. Overall, 2,067,290 tourists visited Gozo and Comino, including both same day and overnight visitors, representing 57.4 per cent of total tourists.

Total inbound tourists for September 2026 were estimated at 438,519, an increase of 11.3 per cent when compared to the corresponding month in 2025.

During the month under review, a total of 412,848 inbound tourists visited Malta for holiday purposes, and 16,615 tourists came for business purposes. The largest share of inbound tourists consisted of persons aged between 25 and 44 (36.5 per cent), followed by the 45-64 age bracket (32.1 per cent). British, Italian and Polish residents made up 47.4 per cent of total inbound tourists.

Total nights spent went up by 1.5 per cent when compared to September 2025, reaching 2.7 million nights. The largest share of guest nights (86.7 per cent) was spent in rented accommodation establishments. The average length of stay of total inbound tourists stood at 6.2 nights.

Total tourist expenditure stood at €487.2 million, an increase of 4.6 per cent over the corresponding month in 2025. The average expenditure per night was estimated at €178.6.

A total of 30,607 tourists stayed overnight in Gozo and Comino, equivalent to 7.0 per cent of all tourists. Overall, 272,910 tourists visited Gozo and Comino, including both same day and overnight visitors, representing 62.2 per cent of total tourists.