In 2025, the number of guest nights in paid accommodation in Malta increased by 10 percent. This is the largest increase in the EU, where the overall increase was 2 percent. At the same time, 13 percent more visitors from the Nordic region chose to travel to Malta last year – a total of 109,017 people.
For the national tourism organization Malta Tourism Authority, the development is an example of why guest nights provide a more relevant picture than simply counting how many visitors arrive in the country. Guest nights reflect how long visitors stay and thus also the effects of tourism on several levels.
According to the Malta Statistics Authority, the average length of stay was around 6.3 nights in 2025. The full-year figures also show that the number of guest nights from visiting visitors increased.
“A visitor who stays longer makes a more meaningful contribution to accommodation, restaurants, transport companies, cultural venues, retail and guides. Longer stays are also associated with greater satisfaction, greater loyalty to the destination and repeat visitors, which are important conditions for sustainable tourism,” says Carlo Micallef, CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority.
Longer stays per trip can give more back to the destination than many short visits, without increasing congestion and transportation as much. According to official statistics, the average price per hotel room per night also increased in 2025 compared to 2024, indicating that visitors spent more on average. Nordic visitors spent an average of 1,160 euros during their trip to Malta.
– It reflects our continued efforts to make smart investments in improving the visitor experience, supporting niche markets and spreading demand more evenly across seasons and regions, says Carlo Micallef.
