Tourist arrivals in January reached 172,021, 26.3% more than in the same month in 2023, according to the National Office of Statistics.

However, fewer nights were spent in Malta than in the same month last year.

The NSO said that 159,807 people visited for holiday purposes, and 8,030 for business.

The largest share of arrivals were aged between 25 and 44 (40.1%), followed by the 45-64 age bracket (30.4%). Italian, British and Polish residents made up 46% of arrivals.

The number of nights spent in Malta dropped by 2.1% when compared to January 2023, surpassing one million nights. The largest share of guest nights (79.4%) was spent in rented accommodation establishments.

The average length of stay of total inbound tourists stood at 5.9 nights.

Total tourist expenditure surpassed €109.9 million, an increase of 10.9% over the corresponding month in 2023.

The average expenditure per night was estimated at €108.9.The number of tourists visiting Gozo and Comino, including both same-day and overnight visitors, totalled 61,493, or 35.7% of total tourists.