Malta tourism surges in August as visitor numbers rise 14.7% and spending hits €629 million

Malta welcomed an estimated 539,655 inbound tourists in August 2026, marking a 14.7 per cent increase over the corresponding month last year, according to figures published by the National Statistics Office (NSO).

Tourists spent a total of 3.8 million nights in Malta during the month, up 9.9 per cent from August 2025, while total expenditure reached €629.3 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 14.9 per cent.

The figures translate into an average expenditure of €165.50 per night, while the average length of stay stood at seven nights.

Of the tourists visiting Malta during August, 515,676 travelled for holiday purposes, while 10,484 visited for business.

Visitors aged between 25 and 44 represented the largest demographic, accounting for 36.6 per cent of inbound tourists. Those aged up to 24 followed closely, accounting for 34.7 per cent.

The UK, Italy and Poland remained particularly important source markets, with residents of the three countries collectively accounting for 46.5 per cent of all inbound tourists during the month.

Meanwhile, rented accommodation continued to dominate the market, accounting for 86.7 per cent of all guest nights.

The NSO also reported that 356,101 tourists visited Gozo and Comino during August, including both same-day and overnight visitors. This was equivalent to 66 per cent of all tourists recorded during the month.

Tourist arrivals surpass three million in first eight months

The August figures build on strong growth recorded throughout the year.

Between January and August 2026, Malta received 3,160,974 inbound tourists, an increase of 17.9 per cent compared with the same eight-month period in 2025.

Total nights spent increased at a slower pace of 10.9 per cent, reaching 18.7 million nights.

Tourist expenditure over the eight months reached €2.96 billion, 15.6 per cent higher than during the corresponding period last year.

However, expenditure per tourist declined, falling from €956 in the first eight months of 2025 to €937 in 2026, despite the increase in overall visitor numbers and spending.

Gozo and Comino attracted 1,794,381 visitors between January and August, including day-trippers and overnight tourists, equivalent to 56.8 per cent of all inbound tourists recorded over the period.