Guests in collective accommodation establishments up by 13% in 2017

The Malta Tourism Authority has reacted positively to the fact that increases have been registered in the amount of tourists visiting collective accommodation establishments during the fourth quarter of 2017.

Total guests in 2017 surpassed 1.8 million, marking an increase of 13%. Total nights spent reached nearly 9.6 million, an increase of almost 7% over 2016.

Figures published by the National Statistics Office indicate that between October and December last year, increases were registered in total guests (+11.7%) and total nights spent (+8.3%) in collective accommodation establishments. The largest share of guest nights (48.5%) was reported in 4-star hotels. Net use of bed-places has advanced by 1.4 percentage points, to reach 58.2%.

The Malta Tourism Authority has just celebrated results achieved in 2017, whereby inbound tourist trips from January to December 2017 reached almost 2.3 million (+15.7%) while total nights spent surpassed 16.5 million nights (+10.3%).

Reacting to these positive results, the MTA’s Chief Executive Officer, Paul Bugeja, noted that it is clear by now that hurdles such as seasonality are being addressed. Thanks to joint efforts between the Ministry for Tourism and the Malta Tourism Authority, Malta is successfully being promoted and visited all year round, which is positive for the industry, the economy, and ultimately the taxpayer. He added that all stakeholders must collaborate in order to ensure the sustainability of such success.