After COVID year, tourism climbs by 47% to 960,000

Malta saw a 47% increase in tourist visits in 2021, a National Statistics Office report shows.

The figures are still way below pre-pandemic levels, as 2.7 million tourists visited the country in 2019.  968,136 tourists visited Malta in 2021.

The total expenditure for 2021 was 91% more than that of 2020, and the total nights spent increased by 60%.

Most of Malta’s inbound tourists, 42%, were aged between 25 and 44, with over 71% hailing from EU Member States, and the United Kingdom being the strongest market. First-time tourists accounted for 72% of those who holidayed in Malta.

58% of single centre inbound tourists to Malta, travelled by low-cost airlines.

Tourists who visited Malta and Gozo and Comino regions as a twin-centre destination, totalled 40,000, a 113% increase on 2020. More than half of the tourists were in the 25-44 age bracket, with the majority hailing from France and the United Kingdom.

91% of twin-centre tourists stayed in rented accommodation and the total nights spent increased by 95% per cent when compared to 2020.

Total expenditure spent by twin centre tourists was estimated at €44.7 million in 2021, an increase of 162% over 2020. Non-package expenditure by twin centre inbound tourists was almost nine times higher when compared to package expenditure.

Domestic tourism

Significant increases were noted in the number of domestic tourists and the number of nights they spend during the shoulder months of March and April, mostly attributed to the COVID-19-related travel restrictions in 2020.

Domestic tourists accounted for 84% of total tourism demand within Gozo and Comino. 78% of them travelled to the region for holiday purposes, spending between one and three nights. 62% of the nights were spent in rented accommodation.

Domestic tourism expenditure in the region was estimated at almost €77 million, a 32% increase over 2020.

Gozo and Comino residents who travelled to Malta in 2021 as domestic tourists, more than doubled in 2021, with 55% staying in non-rented accommodation. Together they spent €3.7 million, a €2.1 million increase over 2020.