Malta has yet again achieved positive figures for its tourism industry as shown in a report published by the National Statistics Office (NSO) for the period January-April 2015. The cumulative amount of inbound tourists for this period recorded a significant 5.7% increase over the corresponding period of last year.

The number of tourist arrivals to Malta during the month of April this year was recorded to be 151,924, 2.5% more than April 2014. Although the average length of stay for April 2015 dropped by 0.2 nights when compared to April of last year, the cumulative period January-April 2015 still presented a 3.5% increase in total number of nights stayed by tourists, standing at 97,000 nights more than the corresponding figure from last year.

The figures representing total tourist expenditure were also positive, featuring the highest increase. April tourist expenditure stood at €119.1 million, €4.4 million or 3.8% more than April of last year. Looking at the cumulative January-April period, tourist expenditure featured a most signifcant increase of 6.8%, being the highest recorded. This translates to €19.8 million more than achieved during the same period last year, adding to a total expenditure of €311.2 million.

Excluding the expected drop in tourist arrivals from Libya and Russia, all other major source markets performed well and yielded more arrivals than the corresponding periods of last year. In relation to this, Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) CEO Paul Bugeja commented positively about Malta's ongoing efforts at maintaining and strengthening its positioning and connectivity to markets overseas. This will help Malta achieve the desired figures and attract the right tourist types year after year.

Paul Bugeja mentioned the increased number of airlines operating to and from Malta. Four new airlines operators have started servicing Malta this year. Aegean Airlines has just started operating flights from Athens and a fifth airline is expected to start its operations in Malta next month.

Another important figure according to Bugeja was the recorded increase in per capita expenditure, as this is a key indicator of the quality of tourist that Malta is attracting. 

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