1. This release focuses on domestic and inbound tourism overnight stays. Users should be aware that domestic same-day visits and overnight stays within the same region of origin, such as, day-trips to Gozo and Comino region and weekend breaks in Malta region by Malta residents, are not included within the scope of this news release. Domestic tourism excludes individuals aged 0 to 14 years. Regional flows of inbound tourism exclude same-day visits across regions and classify trips into two components: single centre destination and twin centre destination.

2. In 2014, the National Statistics Office has introduced a new tool to measure National Tourism to satisfy the concepts and definitions as outlined by Eurostat. The collection consists of tourism demand data on domestic and outbound trips as required by Regulation (EC) No. 692/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning statistics on tourism statistics. The Regulation aims at giving a complete and comprehensive picture of tourism in Europe and allows the comparability of results with other EU member states. Data is collected via a quarterly Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) survey.

3. Inbound tourism trips are collected from an ongoing frontier national survey known as Tourstat. Tourist air departures are collected through a continuous survey carried out at the departure lounge of the Malta International Airport. A two-stage sampling design is used to collect air passengers. In the first stage, alternate days and nights are selected. In the second stage, within each shift, a sample of passengers is selected systematically. Every crossing air passenger is counted and respondents are selected using a pre-defined interval of 1:20. Tourist sea departures data is supplemented by administrative data provided by ferry operators. Tourstat measures the number of tourist trips carried out during a reference period. ‘Tourist trips’ differs from the ‘number of tourists’ such that the same person can undertake more than one trip during a reference period.

4. Sea tourist data for the period January 2023 – September 2024 has been revised due to a revision of the figures from the source. This revision is reflected in all of the figures of 2023 and 2024.

5. Absolute and percentage changes between one survey estimate and another based on less than 1,500 tourists should be treated with caution and are represented in this news release by means of the dash symbol (-).

6. The monthly passenger departures data published by the Malta International Airport cannot be equated to the number of inbound tourists because the former is inclusive of departing Maltese and transit passengers.

7. Arrivals and nights spent in time-share accommodation are being categorised in ‘Non-rented Accommodation’ instead of ‘Collective Accommodation’ as per Eurostat recommendation. In this regard, there may be minor differences in these statistics and statistics published in tourism supply due to the fact that hotels report time-share accommodation under ‘Collective Accommodation’. 

8. Prior to comparing and interpreting differences between demand-side (based on Tourstat) and supply-side (based on Accomstat) tourism statistics, users are strongly advised to consult concept 15.4 of the NSO’s metadata file.

9. Definitions:

● Usual environment: The geographical area, though not necessarily a contiguous one, within which an individual conducts his regular life routines and shall be determined on the basis of the following criteria: the crossing of administrative borders or the distance from the place of usual residence, the duration of visit, the frequency of visit, the purpose of visit.

● Resident: A person is considered to be a resident of Malta/Gozo if:

a. S/he has lived for most of the past 12 months in Malta/Gozo;

b. S/he has lived in Malta/Gozo for less than 12 months but intends to return within a year to settle here.

● Traveller: A person who moves between different geographic locations, for any purpose and any duration.

● Visitor: The three fundamental criteria used to distinguish visitors from travellers are:

a. The trip should be to a place other than that of the usual environment, which would exclude short-distance local transport and commuting, i.e. more or less regular trips between the place of work/study and the place of residence;

b. The stay in the place visited should not last more than twelve consecutive months, beyond which the visitor would become a resident of that place (from the statistical standpoint);

c. The main purpose of the visit should be other than the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited, which would exclude migratory movements for work purposes.

● Tourist: A visitor who stays at least one night in a rented and non-rented accommodation in the place/country visited.

● Inbound tourism: Comprises the activities of non-resident visitors travelling to Malta (i.e. outside their usual environment) and staying for not more than 12 consecutive months for personal, business or other purposes.

● Total nights spent: Nights which a guest actually spends or is registered to spend in a rented accommodation establishment or in a non-rented accommodation.

● Average length of stay: The number of nights spent divided by the number of trips during a specified reference period.

● Rented accommodation: Consists of the following two sub-categories:

a. Collective accommodation: comprises hotels, guesthouses, hostels, tourist villages, holiday complexes, Bed & Breakfast and campsites.

b. Other rented accommodation: comprises holiday furnished premises (farmhouses, flats and villas), host families, marinas, paid-convents, rented yachts and student dormitories.

● Non-rented accommodation: Comprises own private residence (owned dwellings, owned caravans and yachts), staying with friends or relatives (even if charged – includes also friends’ private apartments) and other private accommodation (oil rig, free-convents or timeshare, etc.).

● Total expenditure: Refers to the amount that is going to be paid for the acquisition of consumption goods and services, as well as valuables during tourism trips. It includes expenditures by visitors themselves, as well as expenses that are paid for or reimbursed by others. The total expenditure is broken down by the following expenditure items:

a. Package expenditure: refers to the whole amount of money spent on transport, accommodation and other services such as rental of a car, activities or outings during the trip.

b. Non-package expenditure: is the amount of money spent on transport and accommodation reported separately.

c. Other expenditure: is the amount spent on shopping, souvenirs, tickets for concerts or sports events, entrance to museums or zoos and day excursions during a tourism trip. It also includes durables and valuable goods, that is, the amount spent on cars, computers, paintings, jewellery and works of art.

10. The nomenclature of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) provides a single, uniform breakdown of the economic territory of the European Union. The NUTS is the territorial classification for the compilation of regional statistics. The economic territory of a country can be divided into regional territories and the extra-regio territory. For the purpose of regional analysis, MALTA is divided as follows: