First six months show increase in business tourist numbers

A total of 470,138 tourists departed by air from Malta during the first six months of this year, the National Statistics Offices said.

Compared with a total of 461,513 tourists for the same period of last year, an increase of 8,625 tourists or 1.9 per cent was recorded.

It is estimated that 43.2 per cent of the tourists departing during this period originated from the United Kingdom; an increase of 3.5 per cent over the same period last year.

Other markets recording increases in tourist departures included the Austrian, the Belgian and the Swedish markets.

The German market, which accounted for 12.6 per cent of all tourist departures during the period under review, declined by 6,553 tourists or 9.9 per cent.

Other declining markets included the French, the Libyan and the Russian markets.

Around 87.3 per cent of all departing tourists were in the 25 to 65+ age group, with the highest proportion, or 36.5 per cent, being in the 45-64 age group.

The main purpose of visit of the tourists in Malta during the first six months of the year was holiday, accounting for 83.7 per cent of all tourists, while business tourists accounted for 9.3 per cent.

The NSO said this showed an improvement in business travel to Malta when compared to the same period of last year, when holiday tourists accounted for 90.0 per cent and business tourists accounted for 6.8 per cent respectively of all tourist departures.

In June this year alone, the number of departing tourists by air reached 104,094, an increase of 2,468 tourists or 2.4 per cent over the same month last year.

It is estimated that 43.4 per cent of all tourist departures during this month originated from the United Kingdom, showing a decline of 2,135 tourists or 4.5 per cent over the same month last year.