VALLETTA, Malta – Tourist arrivals last year grew by 9.6 percent, according to the quarterly Deloitte survey carried out of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association.
Presenting the report, Deloitteโs Raphael Aloisio said occupancy levels increased by two per cent, 1.5 percent and 6.9 percent for the 5-star, 4-star and 3-star categories respectively and guest nights grew by 8.7 percent.
The report showed that the average achieved room rate for 5-star hotels stood at โฌ111.8, more than twice that of the four-star sector. The gross operating profit, which took into account the rate and occupancy, was โฌ12,469, โฌ6,887 and โฌ2,723, for the five- four- and three-star categories, respectively. In 2009 the figures were โฌ7,514, โฌ4,475 and โฌ1,226.
According to the report, four in every five 5-star hotels believe rates will be much better or better while 75 percent of the four-stars think they will be better. In the 3-star category 64 percent believed rates would improve.
Speaking on booking and rates in the first two months of this year, MHRA council member Julian Diacono said 72 percent reported better rates and there was an overall increase in bookings for March, April and May, unevenly spread across the hotel categories.