According to figures from the National Statistics Office release today, in August, arrivals and nights in collective accommodation establishments declined to 147,364 and 1,011,263 respectively. The average length of stay was estimated at 6.9 nights.

Non-resident arrivals amounted to 136,181, down by 4.9 per cent when compared to August last year. Likewise, the number of non-resident nights declined by 4.3 per cent and stood at 979,561. Despite this drop, the average length of stay edged up by 0.1 of a night, and stood at 7.2 nights. Declines were also registered in resident arrivals and resident nights, of 14.5 and 11.5 per cent respectively. All collective accommodation categories registered decreases.

Consequently, the net occupancy rate in collective accommodation decreased by 2.4 percentage points and stood at 82.6 per cent. Increases in occupancy rate were registered in the 4-star hotel category, reaching 94.4 per cent, and in guesthouses (51.4 per cent). The net use of bed-places by non-residents and residents went down to 80.0 per cent and 2.6 per cent respectively. Occupancy rates in the 2-star hotel category dropped in the case of non- residents and increased by 7.7 percentage points for residents. These figures amounted to 37.0 and 10.0 per cent respectively.

Total arrivals in Malta numbered 138,299, down by 5.9 per cent compared to last year. Similarly, nights in Malta decreased by 4.3 per cent to 975,875. However, the average length of stay was not affected by these drops, and went up by 0.2 of a night. In Gozo and Comino, there was a slight decrease in the number of arrivals (9,065) and a drop in the number of nights (35,388). Arrivals and nights by foreigners went down in almost all collective accommodation establishments, both in Malta and in Gozo and Comino.

During August, the net use of bed-places was 83.2 per cent in Malta – 2.3 percentage points less than 2010. The only increase was recorded in the 4-star hotel category and stood at 95.9 per cent. In Gozo and Comino, the net use of bed-places was estimated at 67.5 per cent.

The overall number of bedrooms and bed-places in the Maltese Islands stood at 18,207 and 39,498 respectively. In Malta, bedrooms were estimated at 17,393, or 95.5 per cent of the total, an average of 2.2 bed-places in each bedroom. In Gozo and Comino, bed-places went down to 1,691 and bedrooms counted 18 less than last year.

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