Tourist arrivals growth slows in May, but still a strong 6.3%
Malta welcomed 374,297 visitors in the month, with spending up 22 per cent
Tourist arrivals in May 2025 were estimated at 374,297, an increase of 6.3 per cent when compared to the corresponding month in 2024, the NSO said on Monday.
That means a slower growth rate than in May 2024, when the number of arrivals was a massive 23.5% higher than May 2023.
Tourist spending, however, rose by a significant 21.9 per cent over the previous year. The average tourist in May spent €823, up from €772 in 2024.
The NSO said that 347,317 inbound tourists visited Malta for holiday purposes in May 2025, and 17,910 came for business. The remainder were classed as 'other', a category that includes educational, religous and health tourism.
The largest share of tourists consisted of persons aged between 25 and 44 (36.3 per cent), followed by the 45-64 age bracket (31.9 per cent). British, Italian, and French residents made up 44.7 per cent of total inbound tourists.
Total nights spent went up by 8.6 per cent when compared to May 2024, surpassing 2.2 million nights. The largest share of guest nights (90.7 per cent) was spent in rented accommodation establishments. The average length of stay of total inbound tourists stood at 5.9 nights, fractionally more than in 2024.
Total tourist expenditure almost reached €363.6 million, an increase of 16.9 per cent over the corresponding month in 2024. The average expenditure per night was estimated at €165.0.
The number of tourists visiting Gozo and Comino, including both same-day and overnight visitors, totalled 222,002, or 59.3 per cent of total tourists.
January-May 2025
Inbound tourists for the first five months of 2025 amounted to 1,418,954, an increase of 14.3 per cent over the same period in 2024. Total nights spent by inbound tourists went up by 14.7 per cent, almost reaching 8.2 million nights.
Total tourist expenditure was estimated at €1,168.3 million, 21.9 per cent higher than that recorded for the same period in 2024. Total expenditure per capita increased to €823 from €772 in 2024.
The number of tourists visiting Gozo and Comino, including both same-day and overnight visitors, totalled 748,755, or 52.8 per cent of total tourists.