Total guests and nights spent in collective accommodation establishments in 2020’s first quarter decreased by 18.2% and 21.5% respectively when compared to the corresponding quarter in 2019, according to figures supplied by the National Statistics Office.

COVID-19 measures, including the closure of the airport, were introduced in March.

Total guests in collective accommodation establishments numbered 304,564, while total nights surpassed 1.3 million. The largest share of guest nights was reported in 4-star hotels, accounting for 679,215 nights, or 51% of the total.

The average length of stay, in collective accommodation establishments, went down to 4.4 nights from an average of 4.6 nights registered during the same quarter of 2019.

The net use of bed-places stood at 37.4%, down by 10.3 percentage points when compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

On a national level, during March 2020, there were 212 active collective accommodation establishments with a net capacity of 18,881 bedrooms and 43,506 bed-places.

Regional breakdown

On a regional level, total guests in Malta numbered 293,422, down by 17.9% over the first quarter of 2019. Additionally, a decrease of 21.6% was recorded in the number of nights spent.

Total guests and nights in Gozo and Comino decreased by 24.9% and 18.6%, to 11,142 and 28,856 respectively.

In Malta, the average length of stay went down by 0.2 of a night to 4.4 nights. But in Gozo and Comino it increased by 0.2 of a night to 2.6 nights.

The net occupancy rate in Malta decreased by 10.6 percentage points, reaching 38%, and that in Gozo and Comino decreased by 4.6 percentage points to 21.3% over the same quarter of 2019.