Domestic tourism in Malta and Gozo increased by 23.2 per cent in 2023 over 2022, according to national data.
According to figures released by the National Statistics Office on Wednesday, the total number of inbound and domestic tourists who visited the Gozo and Comino region in 2023 amounted to 564,396. There, domestic tourists accounted for 71.9 per cent of total tourism demand.
Meanwhile, the total number of inbound and domestic tourists who visited the Malta region reached 2.9 million, with inbound tourists accounting for 98.4 per cent of total tourists.
Total of 454,495 inbound tourists
In total, domestic tourism across all three islands stood at 454,495 - an increase of 23.2 per cent when compared to 2022.
Malta residents travelling to Gozo and Comino totalled 406,018 - or 89.3 per cent of total domestic tourists.
Most domestic tourists travelled to either Malta or Gozo for holiday purposes (75.8 per cent) and spent between one and three nights (83.7 per cent).
The average length of stay across the islands decreased from 2.7 to 2.4 compared with 2022 levels, with domestic tourist nights totalling 1,105,685 - an increase of 10.9 per cent over 2022.
Total expenditure by domestic tourists was estimated at €74.8 million - an increase of 17.9 per cent when compared to the previous year.
The average expenditure per capita stood at €164.8 - a decrease of €7.1 over 2022.
Domestic tourism to Gozo and Comino
Domestic tourists to Gozo and Comino who stayed in rented accommodation amounted to 244,697 - an increase of 23.1 per cent over 2022.
The majority of domestic tourist nights (63.4 per cent) were in rented accommodation, of which 68.2 per cent were spent in other rented accommodation.
Domestic tourism expenditure in Gozo and Comino region was estimated at almost €67.8 million - an increase of 17.3 per cent over 2022.
Domestic tourism to Malta
Gozo and Comino residents who travelled to Malta in 2023 increased from 37,545 in 2022 to 48,478 in 2023 - an increase of 29.1 per cent.
Slightly more than half (58.7 per cent) of domestic tourism nights by Gozo and Comino residents who travelled to Malta region were spent in non-rented accommodation.
In 2023, domestic tourism expenditure in Malta region was estimated at €7million - an increase of €1.4 million over 2022.
Inbound tourism
In 2023, inbound tourists in Malta increased by 0.7 million, reaching 2,975,670 tourists.
Total nights spent by inbound tourists on the main island surpassed 20.2 million - an increase of 21.9 per cent over 2022.
In 2023, total expenditure by inbound tourists to Malta reached almost €2.7 billion. Expenditure by inbound tourists on single centre destination trips accounted for 96.7 per cent of total (Table 12).
Inbound tourists who visited Gozo and Comino (as a single centre destination) amounted to 81,312 - an increase of 25.7 per cent compared 2022.
The majority came from EU Member States (56.1 per cent), despite the UK being the strongest market (30.2 per cent).
Most were aged between 25 and 44 (35.6 per cent).
Non-package trips accounted for 85.2 per cent of inbound tourists to Gozo and Comino. More than half of the single-centre inbound tourists to Gozo and Comino region, travelled by low-cost airlines (57.6 per cent).