Malta welcomed 1.67 million tourists between January and May
Tourist arrivals in first five months of the year were up almost 18% over 2025
Inbound tourists for the first five months of 2026 amounted to 1,673,602, an increase of 17.9% over the same period in 2025, the NSO said on Wednesday.
Between January and May, total nights spent by inbound tourists went up by 12.0%, reaching 9.2 million nights.
Total tourist expenditure was estimated at €1,339,6 million, 14.7% higher than that recorded for the same period in 2025. Total expenditure per capita decreased to €800 from €823 in 2025.
The number of tourists visiting Gozo and Comino, including both same-day and overnight visitors, totalled 845,587 or 50.5% of total tourists.
457,636 tourists visited Malta in May
According to the NSO, tourist arrivals in May grew by 22.3% to 457,636 when compared to May 2025.
424,92 tourists visited Malta for holiday purposes, and 23,791 tourists came for business. The largest share was aged between 25 and 44 (37.4%), followed by the 45-64 age bracket (34.2%).
British, Italian and Polish residents made up 44.8% of the total inbound tourists.
Total nights spent went up by 17.5% when compared to May 2025, reaching 2.6 million nights. The largest share of guest nights (88.0%) was spent in rented accommodation establishments. The average length of stay of total inbound tourists stood at 5.7 nights.
Total tourist expenditure stood at €419.9 million, an increase of 15.5% over the corresponding month in 2025. The average expenditure per night was estimated at €162.1.
The number of tourists visiting Gozo and Comino, including both same-day and overnight visitors, totalled 268,229, or 58.6 per cent of total tourists.