According to the National Statistics Office, Malta’s tourism industry experienced a significant increase in February 2023, with an estimated 132,513 visitors arriving on the island.

These visitors spent a total of 816,220 nights in Malta, and the total expenditure of tourists exceeded €86.9 million.

The number of nights spent in rented accommodation establishments accounted for 86.3 percent of the total nights spent by visitors in Malta.

In the first two months of the year, Malta welcomed 268,680 visitors, who spent a total of 1.8 million nights on the island.

During this period, the total expenditure of tourists was estimated to reach €186.0 million, with the head-to-head expenditure being €692.

A separate Press Release issued by the Malta International Airport shows that Q1 of 2023 was the busiest in Malta Airport’s history.

The numbers for March 2023 were also promising, with Malta International Airport (MIA) registering 1,245,525 passenger movements during the first quarter.

In March alone, 487,117 passenger movements were recorded, representing an increase of two percent over pre-pandemic figures.

The top five markets for visitors to Malta were Italy, the UK, Germany, France, and Poland.

In 2022, MIA welcomed 5.8 million passengers, which is an impressive 80 percent recovery of the record traffic it had in 2019.

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Malta is a small Mediterranean island nation known for its rich history, beautiful beaches, and unique architecture. One Maltese content creator, Daniel Vella, has taken it upon himself to capture the last remaining traditional store facades with their iconic Maltese shop signs.

@danielvella2000 Beauty in Decay – Malta #fyp #travel #malta #abandoned ♬ Solas Jamie Duffy – Jamie Duffy

These traditional stores, with their bright and colourful signs, are a part of Malta’s cultural heritage, and are slowly disappearing. The content creator has documented these iconic facades in his shots, preserving a piece of Maltese history for generations to come.

Through his work, Daniel has brought attention to the importance of preserving Malta’s traditional architecture and cultural identity.

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In 2022, the number of fines issued to e-scooter users across the island reached 10,999, almost triple the amount issued in the previous year.

From 2020 until April of this year, LESA handed out 19,721 fines to e-scooter users and providers.

In recent years, the number of fines issued has risen sharply due to the increasing popularity of the two-wheeled vehicle.

So far this year, 4,020 fines have been issued, a significant increase from 2020, when only four fines were given out. In 2021, a total of 4,702 fines were issued.

This information was confirmed to Malta Daily by representatives of the Ministry for Home Affairs which LESA falls under.

E-scooters have become a popular means of transportation in Malta, and many other European cities.

However, while they provide an easy, inexpensive, and fast mode of transportation, they have also become a nuisance to residents and pedestrians who have voiced their frustration about navigating around carelessly parked scooters. Sources close to Transport Malta confirmed with Malta Daily that discussions are currently taking place with Local Councils of e-kick scooter frequented areas to find a solution for what has become a problem in recent years.

Speaking to Malta Daily, Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia said, “it is part of our policy reform to ensure that e-scooters do not end up littering the island and we are in constant contact with the operators and various local councils to ensure that this issue is addressed.”

Aaron Farrugia confirmed that Transport Malta are currently in talks with three local councils and another six are in the pipeline, and they have this summer as a target to implement parking bays within these localities.

The majority of the fines, amounting to 14,938, were issued for obstruction and inconvenience to the public, while another 2,197 were issued for parking on the pavement.

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