According to data from the National Statistics Office, for the fourth quarter of 2024, 4-star hotels retained the largest share of guest nights, accounting for 50.4 per cent of the total during the period.
Tourists are also opting for longer stays, as the average length of stay in collective accommodation establishments rose to 4.3 nights in 2024, up from the previous year’s figure for the same quarter. This was accompanied by an increase in the net use of bed-places, which reached 59 per cent – a 3.9 percentage point rise compared to the corresponding period in 2023.
In terms of national capacity, December 2024 closed with 323 active collective accommodation establishments, offering 21,656 bedrooms and a total of 49,483 bed-places across Malta and Gozo.
Malta outpaces Gozo and Comino
The bulk of guest activity was concentrated in Malta, which welcomed 598,253 guests in the fourth quarter, reflecting a 14.4 per cent increase over the same period in 2023. The total number of nights spent rose by 16.7 per cent to reach 2,590,870 nights.
Meanwhile, Gozo and Comino also experienced growth, albeit on a smaller scale. Guest numbers rose by 15.8 per cent to 28,631, while nights spent increased by 9.8 per cent to 76,493 nights.
In Malta, the average length of stay increased slightly to 4.3 nights. In contrast, Gozo and Comino saw a slight decrease in the average length of stay, which stood at 2.7 nights for 2024.
Occupancy rates also moved in a positive direction in both regions. Malta’s net occupancy rate for the fourth quarter stood at 59.9 per cent, marking a 3.9 percentage point improvement year-on-year. Gozo and Comino registered a 2.6 percentage point increase, with net occupancy reaching 38.5 per cent.
Full-year growth in 2024
Zooming out to the full year, total guests in collective accommodation establishments reached 2,550,655 in 2024, representing a 13.3 per cent increase over 2023. Meanwhile, total nights spent rose by 14.4 per cent, hitting 11,321,251 nights for the year.
The net use of bed-places for the year stood at 64.8 per cent, reflecting a 2.7 percentage point improvement when compared to 2023.
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