More than half of Gozo and Comino visitors are Malta residents
Residents of Malta accounted for slightly more than half of all tourists visiting Gozo and Comino in 2016, the 2017 edition of the NSO’s Regional Statistics publication has revealed.
In 2016, the Gozo and Comino region received 221,703 domestic tourists (out of a total of 411,322), an increase of 9.4% over 2015.
The report also noted that the domestic tourism expenditure in Gozo and Comino region was estimated at €37.1 million, an increase of 26.8 per cent over 2015,
The largest share of these tourists was in the 25-44 age brackets (43.1%); however, the 1524 bracket accounted for the highest increase over 2015.
91.7% of the visitors travelled to the islands for holiday purposes.
The average length of stay of Malta residents in Gozo and Comino region remained unchanged at 2.7 nights per visit. Nevertheless, the largest increase (12.2%) was registered in the duration bracket of four to six nights.
The majority of domestic tourists to Gozo and Comino region stayed in private accommodation establishments, amounting to 171,294, an increase of 15.5% over 2015. More than half of the domestic stays in private accommodation, 54.9%, were spent in rented accommodation.
Residents of Gozo and Comino
Gozitans and residents from Comino who travelled to Malta region in 2016 as domestic tourists totalled 19,513, an increase of 15.4% over 2015.
Three-fourths of the domestic tourism trips by Gozo and Comino residents to Malta region were holiday-driven.
About 95.1% spent between one to three nights in Malta. The average length of stay of domestic tourists in Malta region stood at two nights, similar to 2015 levels.
The largest proportion (63.4%) of the Gozo and Comino residents who travelled to Malta region stayed in private accommodation, of which 90.0% stayed in nonrented accommodation.
Domestic tourism expenditure in Malta region was estimated at €2.6 million, an increase of 12.7% in 2015. In 2016, the expenditure in accommodation posted the highest increase, 22.9%.