Malta Records Second-Highest Tourism Growth In The EU In 2024
Malta experienced the second highest year-on-year growth in the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments across the EU in 2024.
According to Eurostat, the number increased by 14.4% from 2023’s statistics and is only superseded by Cyprus with a difference of just 0.1%.
Tourism analysts attribute Malta’s performance to a combination of factors: an extended high season driven by mild weather, increased air connectivity from major European hubs, and strategic marketing efforts targeting both short-haul and long-haul markets. Events such as music festivals, sports tournaments, and cultural initiatives have also helped sustain visitor interest beyond the traditional summer months.
Out of the total 3.02 billion nights spent across the EU, nearly half (48.1%), or 1.45 billion, were by international visitors. The majority of these guests came from within Europe, with 61.6% of international stays by tourists from other EU countries and 21.3% from non-EU European nations. Only 16.4% of overnight stays were by travellers from other world regions such as the Americas and Asia.
While other countries such as Finland (-0.7%) and France (-0.6%) saw small declines, Malta’s growth underscores the resilience and adaptability of smaller tourism economies within the EU, and signals an optimistic outlook for 2025.
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