The number of people who stayed at hotels, guesthouses, hostels and tourist villages last year increased by 85% over the previous year, according to national data.

However, the figures are still below pre-pandemic levels. 

Data released by the National Statistics Office on Monday shows that throughout the year, there were 1,812,834 guests at collective accommodation establishments - an increase of 831,044 over the same period in 2021.

Collective accommodation establishments comprise hotels, guesthouses, hostels and tourist villages. 

That year, 981,790 people had stayed in such accommodation, far less than the 2,022,283 in 2019, before COVID hit the islands.

The total number of nights spent at such establishments in 2022 also increased over 2021: there were an additional 3,593,362 nights booked, reaching a total of 8,204,068 nights.

The net use of bed-places went up by 20.1 percentage points to 53.3.

Quarterly data

Quarterly data meanwhile shows that in the last three months of the year, the largest share (46.4 per cent) of guest nights was reported in four-star hotels.

The average length of stay in collective accommodation establishments went down to 4.2 nights from the average of 4.6 nights registered during the last quarter of 2021.

The net use of bed-places stood at 49.8 per cent, up by 8.9 percentage points when compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

Regional breakdown

Meanwhile, a regional breakdown shows that the total number of guests in Malta during this last quarter numbered 447,098 while the number of nights spent at hotels stood at 1,913,262.

The total number of guests and nights in Gozo and Comino increased to 21,368 and 54,198 respectively from 19,729 and 54,060 registered in 2021.

While the net occupancy rate in Malta increased by 9.6 percentage points, reaching 50.8 per cent, that in Gozo and Comino decreased by 3 percentage points to 29.9 per cent.

Correction March 6, 2023: A previous version stated that hotel stays were up 85%. The figure refers to stays at all collective accommodation establishments, not just hotels.