Now that the inbound tourism figures for Q1 2025 have been issued, we can start analysing the inbound tourism trends so far in 2025.
As shown below the number of inbound tourist arrivals in Q1 2025 topped 700K, which means a 20.4% increase over Q1 2024. Real expenditure in Q1 2025 (based on 2019 levels) increased by 22.5% over Q1 2024. Since the percentage increase in real expenditure was slightly higher than the increase in tourist arrivals, the average real expenditure per tourist in Q1 2025 was slightly higher than Q1 2024. However, as shown below, the average real expenditure per tourists in Q1 2025, though slightly higher than Q1 2024, was below Q1 2023 and Q1 2019.
Looking at the average real expenditure per tourist on a monthly basis for Q1 2025, compared to 2024 and 2019, one can see that the most encouraging month was February, with an average real expenditure being higher than both 2024 and 2019, with a less rosy performance in January and March.
Moreover, it is interesting to see that in past years, the amount of tourists received in Q1 of any year, normally represented some 15%-16% of the tourists for a full year. Based on this, one can derive that taking this will also work for 2025, the 700K tourists received in Q1 2025 will likely mean that Malta will likely get some 4.3 million tourists this year.
The Malta Vision for 2050, envisions that we should have 4.4 to 4.5 million by 2035. As shown above we should achieve this number or come very close by end 2025. However, the Malta Vision sets the target of an average expenditure per tourist of around €1,500 (to hit the targeted annual tourist expenditure of €6.8m). The nominal average expenditure per tourist (not adjusted for inflation) in Q1 2025 stood at €726.
As outlined in the Malta Vision 2050, our challenge ahead of us till 2035, is not to increase the number of tourist arrivals, but to double the average expenditure per tourist. An ambitious target indeed.
