Government committed to turning high tourist numbers to a more successful economy – Zammit Lewis

● Tourist arrivals in June reach nearly 200,000, up 5.8% over 2015

Total inbound visitors for June were estimated at 194,520, an increase of 5.8% when compared to the corresponding month of 2015, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said.

Commenting on the most recent tourist figures, Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said that the government is committed towards translating the high numbers into a more successful economy, better education and maintaining the sector as being one of the main engines for Malta’s economic growth.

The NSO reported that a total of 166,607 inbound tourist trips were carried out for holiday purposes, while a further 14,207 were undertaken for business purposes, in June 2016. Inbound tourists from EU member states

over the same period went up by 7.2% to 166,266 when compared to the corresponding month of 2015. The largest proportion of inbound tourists was aged between 25 and 44, followed by those within the 45-64 age bracket.

Total nights spent went up by 8.6% when compared to the same period over the previous year, June 2015, amounting to 1,444,104 nights. The largest share of guest nights (60.5%) was spent in collective accommodation establishments.

Total tourist expenditure was estimated at €169.5 million, an increase of 4.0% over the corresponding month of 2015.

When looking at the January to June figures, the NSO reported that inbound tourist trips from January to June amounted to 829,850, an increase of 9.9% over the same period in 2015. Total nights spent by inbound tourists went up by 8.6%, surpassing 5.8 million nights. Total tourism expenditure was estimated at €656.4 million, 5.7% higher than that recorded for 2015. Total expenditure per capita stood at €791, a decrease of 3.7% when compared to 2015.

Dr Zammit Lewis said now that the touristic figures for the first six months are in hand, the government can now confidently analyse the upcoming six months, as well as look towards the remainder of the year with optimism.

“Between January and June of this year, a total 835,000 tourists arrived, translating into 9.7% growth over the same months in 2015. Malta registered a considerable increase in the number of tourist nights spent in Malta, amounting to an increase of 8.6%. Tourist expenditure in the first six months amounted to €656.4 million, an increase of 5.7% between January and June 2015, amounting to an extra €35.7 in direct income for the Maltese economy.”

“These are exceedingly satisfactory results for the first half of this year, when seasonal challenges are at their greatest. Throughout this, the figures confirm that the government is successfully addressing these challenges through positive and effective politics. More than this, we are seeing a diversification in the touristic market, and are expanding from the traditional tourist typically seen on the island.

“We are registering notable growth in the Dutch, Scandinavian, Spanish and American markets. It is also good to note that when excluding cruise ship passengers who spent their nights onboard the vessels in Maltese ports, it was found that the registered increase in the amount of tourists visiting Malta in the first six months of 2016 was the biggest ever since 2011.

“These results will serve as encouragement for the remainder six months of 2016. More than this, the government is fully committed to breaking new touristic records for the entirety of this year. In addition, the government is also committed to see that such records translate into a more successful economy, better education and the maintenance of the touristic sector as being the main driver of the Maltese economy,” he concluded.