Here are the most recent travel and tourism statistics about Malta, including up-to-date data about inbound tourism, domestic tourism, and top attractions.
Dramatic cliffs, crystal clear waters, and architectural sites. People are drawn to Malta for its many attractions and activities.
And no doubt, this place is on so many of our travel bucket lists.
But how many people actually go to Malta every year?
How much does tourism contribute to the country’s economy?
What does the future of Malta's tourism sector look like?
Luckily, we have the answer to all of these, and more!
We’ve compiled some of the latest and most important statistics on Malta’s travel and tourism industry.
Hopefully, this list can help you understand more about tourism in Malta.
Let’s get right into them!
Sources: We have included the reference for each statistic or you can go to the end of this post for all the sources and references used.
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In 2022, 2.287 million international tourists visited Malta, a dramatic increase from just 968 thousand visitors in 2021.
Does Malta have a lot of tourism?
Yes, Malta has a lot of tourism, which is growing consistently as it recovers from the Coronavirus pandemic.
Tourism plays a huge role in the country’s economy, contributing 2.1 billion euros in 2022.
Who visits Malta the most?
In 2019, the five leading inbound markets for tourism in Malta are the UK (650 thousand arrivals), Italy (393 thousand arrivals), France (239 thousand arrivals), Germany (212 thousand arrivals), and Spain (116 thousand arrivals).
Malta key travel statistics
2.287 million international tourists visited Malta in 2022, a significant increase from just 968 thousand visitors in 2021.
In August 2023, there were 371,511 inbound tourists recorded in Malta, a significant increase of 18.3% from August 2022.
Tourists from the United Kingdom reported the highest inbound spending in Malta, at 417.5 million euros spent in 2022.
Domestic tourism in Malta decreased by 5% in 2022 compared to 2021, to just 369 thousand domestic tourists.
Italy is the most popular destination for tourists from Malta, with a share of 39.9% in Q2 2023 (April to June).
In 2022, the total contribution of travel and tourism to Malta's GDP was 2.1 billion euros, down from 2.3 billion euros in 2019.
By type of tourists, 86.9% of the tourism spending in Malta in 2022 was by international tourists.
In 2022, hotels were the most common type of travel accommodation establishment in Malta. There were 283 hotels, compared to 28 holiday and other short-stay accommodations.
Malta inbound tourism statistics
How many tourists visit Malta each year?
1. 2.287 million international tourists visited Malta in 2022, a significant increase from just 968 thousand visitors in 2021.
[Statista]
2. 1.7 million of which were first-time visitors to Malta.
[Statista]
3. In the first eight months of 2023, there were a total of 1,986,260 inbound tourists in Malta, with over 13.5 million night spent.
[Malta NSO]
4. In August 2023, there were 371,511 inbound tourists recorded in Malta, a significant increase of 18.3% from August 2022.
[Malta NSO]
5. Total nights spent for August 2023 were approximately 2,900,455, while the total expenditure was over €393.5 million.
[Malta NSO]
6. Almost all inbound tourists to Malta came via air, with 2.3 million arrivals recorded in 2022, compared to just 55 thousand arrivals by sea.
[Statista]
Demographics of tourism in Malta
Who visits Malta the most?
7. Tourists from the United Kingdom reported the highest inbound spending in Malta, at 417.5 million euros spent in 2022.
8. As of June 2023, according to Google travel demand, the UK was still the leading international travel market for Malta. Search volume for flights and accommodation in Malta rose by 27.5% from May 2023.
[Statista]
9. In 2019, the UK was the leading source for international tourists in Malta, with 650 thousand arrivals.
[OECD]
10. The second top contributor of inbound tourists to Malta is Italy, with 393 thousand arrivals in 2019, while France takes third place with 239 thousand arrivals.
[OECD]
The five leading inbound markets for tourism in Malta are the UK (650 thousand arrivals), Italy (393 thousand arrivals), France (239 thousand arrivals), Germany (212 thousand arrivals), and Spain (116 thousand arrivals).
11. The 25 to 44 year old makes up the largest age group of international tourists in Malta in 2022, with 910 thousand visitors.
[Statista]
Domestic tourism in Malta
How many domestic tourists are there in Malta?
12. Domestic tourism in Malta decreased by 5% in 2022 compared to 2021, to just 369 thousand domestic tourists.
[Statista]
13. Expenditure by domestic tourists in Malta also fell by 20% from 2021 to 2022 (63.4 million euros in 2022)
[Statista]
14. In 2022, there were 331 thousand Malta residents visiting the islands of Gozo and Comino.
[Statista]
Domestic tourists accounted to 72% of total tourism in Gozo and Comino islands.
Comino Island is also home to iconic destinations, including the Blue Lagoon.
15. On the other hand, around 37.6 thousand people living in Gozo and Comino visited Malta in 2022.
[Statista]
Malta outbound tourism statistics
What is outbound tourism like in Malta?
16. Malta recorded an estimate of 602 thousand outbound tourists in 2022.
[Statista]
17. There were over 189.4 thousand outbound tourist trips from April to June 2023 by Maltese residents. This amounted to 1.23 million total nights spent.
[Malta NSO]
18. Italy is the most popular destination for tourists from Malta, with a share of 39.9% in Q2 2023 (April to June).
[Malta NSO]
19. Not only that, but in 2022, Maltese tourists spent almost 1.1 million nights in Italy.
[Statista]
The total 1.1 million nights spent in Italy in 2022 by tourists from Malta exceeded the pre-pandemic figures.
20. In terms of tourism expenditure, Italy also sits in first place among Maltese tourists with €142.48 million spent in 2022.
[Statista]
21. Tourists from Malta spent the second highest amount in the UK, at €58.91 million in 2022.
[Statista]
This was followed by France (€30.61 million), Spain (€29.38 million), and Turkey (€23.81 million).
22. The US sits just outside of the top 10 destination for Maltese in terms of tourist expenditure, with €9.39 million spent in 2022.
23. Meanwhile, from January to June 2023, there were a total of 347,623 outbound tourist trips from Malta, or 2.3 million nights.
[Malta NSO]
24. Total tourism expenditure by outbound travellers from Malta for the first half of 2023 was €297.3 million.
[Malta NSO]
25. This is already more than half of the total outbound tourism expenditure of €518 million in 2022.
[Statista]
Malta tourism contribution to the economy
How much does tourism contribute to Malta's GDP?
26. In 2022, the total contribution of travel and tourism to Malta's GDP was 2.1 billion euros, down from 2.3 billion euros in 2019.
[Statista]
27. Leisure spending made up 88.5% of tourism spending in Malta in 2022, compared to 11.5% of business spending.
[Statista]
Business spending represents 11.5% of the total tourism spending in Malta in 2022.
28. Meanwhile, by type of tourists, 86.9% of the tourism spending in Malta in 2022 was by international tourists.
[Statista]
Domestic tourists contributed to 13.1% of total tourism spending in Malta in 2022.
29. Between 2010 and 2019, international tourist expenditure contributed a stable share between 8.7 and 10.7% to the total exports in Malta. But this dropped to 2.1% in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
[Statista]
30. Between January and August 2023, tourism expenditure in Malta was estimated at €1.8 billion, which averaged to €888 spent per person.
[Malta NSO]
31. In 2021, 40,070 people were employed in the tourism industry in Malta.
[OECD]
This was only slightly lower than the pre-pandemic figures of 40,568 in 2019.
32. The cultural industry employs the largest share of people within the tourism industry, with 12, 881 employment in 2021.
[OECD]
33. The food and beverage serving industry comes next with 8,163 employment in 2021.
[OECD]
34. This was followed by accommodation services for visitors, which employed 6,489 people in 2021.
[OECD]
35. The fourth largest sector within the tourism industry in Malta in terms of employment is passenger transport with 6,051 employments in 2021.
[OECD]
Accommodation in Malta statistics
How many hotels are there in Malta?
36. In 2022, hotels were the most common type of travel accommodation establishment in Malta. There were 283 hotels, compared to 28 holiday and other short-stay accommodations.
37. Number of hotel rooms in Malta also increased to 21.5 thousand in 2022, from just around 20.4 thousand in 2021.
[Statista]
38. The occupancy rate of hotels in Malta was at 62.8% in 2022.
[Statista]
39. In Malta, hotels are the largest travel and tourism segment in terms of revenue, generating 13.95 million U.S. dollars in 2023.
[Statista]
Package holidays follow close behind with 13.58 million U.S. dollars of revenue in 2023.
40. The hotel segment in Malta is expected to continue growing, reaching a revenue of 18.41 million U.S. dollars by 2027.
[Statista]
41. However, the camping market is predicted to more or less remain stagnant, with a revenue of 0.34 million U.S. dollars in 2027.
[Statista]
42. In terms of market size, the hotel industry in Malta was valued at 490 million euros in 2022.
[Statista]
43. Based on findings between January to June 2018, tourists who stay in Valletta are more likely to use Airbnb to book their accommodation (8.4%) compared to those staying elsewhere in Malta (4.8%)
[Valletta 2018]
In 2018, 8.4% of tourists staying in Valletta book their accommodations through Airbnb, compared to just 4.8% of the Malta average.
Tourist destinations and activities in Malta
What are the top destinations for tourists in Malta?
44. In 2018, 1,082,100 tourists visited Valletta, the capital city of Malta.
[Valletta 2018]
As the capital city, Valletta has many activities for tourists, so much so that 9 out of 10 inbound tourists in Malta would have visited Valletta during their trip.
45. In 2022, cruise passengers arriving in Malta increased to 490 thousand from 142 thousand in 2021.
[Statista]
46. Passengers aged 40 to 59 accounted for the highest number of cruise arrivals in Malta in 2022 (171 thousand arrivals).
[Statista]
47. Ports in Malta had a total of 283 cruise liner calls in 2022.
[Statista]
Summary
Malta is famous for many things, from being a popular film location to having 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
In 2023, it’s clear that tourism is beginning to recover to its pre-pandemic levels.
So, did we miss any important aspect of tourism in Malta?
Let us know in the comment section below.
If you’re planning a trip to Malta, this 5-day itinerary might inspire you.
Don’t forget to check our our tips on the best way to get around Malta.
In the meantime, here are a few more travel statistics:
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