Malta’s tourism sector continued its strong start to 2026, with inbound arrivals rising sharply in February alongside increased visitor spending.

According to data published by the National Statistics Office, the country welcomed an estimated 249,139 tourists in February, representing an 18.5% increase compared to the same month in 2025.

The majority of visitors — around 224,757 — travelled for holiday purposes, while a smaller segment arrived for business.

The data also highlights the composition of Malta’s tourism base, with visitors aged 25 to 44 making up the largest share, closely followed by those aged 45 to 64.

In terms of source markets, nearly half of all arrivals originated from three countries: the United Kingdom, Poland and Italy, underlining Malta’s continued reliance on key European markets.

Tourist activity translated into a total of 1.4 million nights spent, up 10.3% year-on-year, with the majority of stays taking place in rented accommodation.

The average length of stay stood at 5.5 nights, suggesting a relatively stable pattern of visits despite the increase in overall volumes.

Spending also rose significantly. Total tourist expenditure for the month reached €171.7 million, marking a 16.9% increase compared to February 2025. Average spend per night was estimated at €125.8.

Gozo and Comino also benefited from the growth, with 103,579 visitors travelling to the sister islands — accounting for 41.6% of total arrivals, either as day-trippers or overnight guests.

Looking at the broader picture, the upward trend extends across the first two months of the year.

Between January and February, Malta recorded 484,911 inbound tourists, an increase of 19.9% year-on-year, with total nights spent rising to 2.7 million.

Tourist expenditure for the period reached €350.6 million, up 21.1%, while per capita spending saw a modest increase.

The figures suggest continued momentum in Malta’s tourism sector, with both volume and spending growth contributing to the overall performance.

As the year progresses, attention is likely to shift toward how this growth translates into long-term value, particularly in areas such as sustainability, visitor quality and infrastructure capacity.