According to the ongoing frontier survey, tourist departures in January were estimated at 51,643, implying a decrease of 19.1 per cent over the corresponding month in 2008. The decrease reflects primarily a drop in holiday makers, mainly from the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

85.6 per cent of all inbound visits in January comprised tourists coming from EU Member States. For the period under review, both package and non-package holidays decreased by 19.1 per cent. The largest proportion of inbound passengers were between 45 and 64 years of age followed by those in the 25 to 44 age bracket.

Meanwhile, total nights spent decreased by 4.6 per cent when compared to January last year. Year on year, total nights spent in private accommodation increased by 3.6 per cent, while guest nights in collective accommodation decreased by 8.3 per cent.

During the same period, tourist expenditure totalled €34.3 million, down by 20.9 per cent over January 2008. This change was characterised by a reduction in all expenditure categories.

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