Gearing Up For Summer 2026
VisitMalta Showcases Maltese Gastronomy in Australia Through Exclusive Culinary Events
July 4, 2026
Malta is heading into what promises to
be one of its busiest and most significant
tourism seasons on record. Airlines, airport
operators and hospitality businesses have all
been scaling up their operations ahead of
Summer 2026, and the early data suggests
that momentum is already firmly established.
Words by Stephen Gauci.
Figures published by the National Statistics Office confirm that the sector is performing well ahead of last year. Between January and March 2026, inbound tourist arrivals reached 806,563, a 16.3 per cent increase on the same period in 2025 and a clear signal that Malta’s year-round appeal continues to strengthen.
Total expenditure for the first quarter reached €584.7 million, up 15.0 per cent year-on-year, with visitors spending an average of €725 per capita. That strong foundation bodes well for the accommodation, food and beverage, and wider visitor economy as the summer season builds.
Ryanair Expands Its Malta Network
Ryanair has moved aggressively to strengthen its position in the Maltese market for Summer 2026. The airline has committed a ninth based aircraft to Malta and has introduced four new routes connecting the islands with Gothenburg, Newcastle, Palma and Tirana.
These additions bring Ryanair’s total Malta network to 70 routes, supported by increased frequencies on more than 40 existing services, including connections to Milan, Vienna, London, Krakow, Zagreb, Madrid, Dublin and Bratislava. The airline projects a 20 per cent increase in Malta passenger numbers for 2026, targeting six million passengers in total, up from around five million in 2025.
For the hospitality sector, the benefits extend well beyond additional seats. Improved low-cost access from key European cities is expected to drive more short-break travel, support higher occupancy levels and inject greater spending into hotels, restaurants and tourism businesses across the islands.
KM Malta Airlines Strengthens Connectivity
The national carrier has also unveiled its largest summer schedule to date. Running upto October, the programme will see the airline operate 8,000 flights across 19 routes, offering more than 1.34 million seats. The schedule includes additional services to Brussels and London Gatwick, now served by 23 weekly flights, while double daily services continue to major hubs including London, Munich, Paris and Rome.
These hub connections remain particularly valuable for the onward global connectivity they provide through codeshare agreements and partner airlines. For the hospitality and events sector, KM Malta Airlines’ expanded schedule strengthens access to higher-spending markets and creates more viable pathways for conferences, meetings and international business travel.
Airport Investment
Malta International Airport is preparing for significantly higher passenger volumes through a €345 million, five-year investment programme running from 2025 to 2029. The Summer 2026 schedule features flights to and from more than 110 destinations. Italy remains Malta’s best-connected market, with services to 18 Italian airports, while the United Kingdom follows with 17 airport connections. The UK topped the leaderboard in April, accounting for just over 21 per cent of total traffic at the airport, with Italy, Poland, Germany and France completing the top five. Poland delivered the standout growth performance, recording a traffic increase of nearly 60 per cent year-on-year.
Winston Zahra
NSO Data Points to a Strong First Quarter
The NSO’s March 2026 inbound tourism release confirms broad-based strength across all key indicators. For the first quarter, the 806,563 arrivals were accompanied by 4.5 million total nights spent and expenditure of €584.7 million, 15 per cent above the equivalent period last year.
The United Kingdom remained Malta’s most important individual source market by volume in Q1, contributing 160,000 tourists, a 23.0 per cent increase, and generating €124 million in expenditure. Poland was the standout performer among all markets, delivering 133,000 tourists, a 39.4 per cent year-on-year increase, with expenditure rising by 34.4 per cent to €78.3 million. Italy, Ireland and Scandinavia also recorded solid gains.
American visitors also showed encouraging momentum. US arrivals rose by 41.8 per cent to 17,000 in the first quarter, with average per capita expenditure of €1,315 — the highest of any source market. That performance takes on added significance ahead of Delta Air Lines’ new threetimes-weekly direct service between New York JFK and Malta launching this summer, which is expected to provide a substantial boost to Malta’s US tourism ambitions.
Accommodation Sector Keeps Pace
The accommodation sector has continued to absorb growing demand effectively. In the first quarter of 2026, total guests in collective accommodation reached 655,000, with total nights spent standing at almost 2.6 million. In Malta specifically, guests increased by 15.6 per cent over Q1 2025 and nights spent rose by 11 per cent. The net use of bed-places stood at 52.9 per cent, with four-star hotels continuing to account for the largest share of guest nights.
As of March 2026, Malta had 359 active collective accommodation establishments, with a net capacity of 23,878 bedrooms and 55,308 bed-places. This compares with 323 establishments and 21,717 bedrooms recorded in March 2025, reflecting continued investment in accommodation supply.
A Strong Summer Ahead
Taken together, expanded airline schedules, ongoing airport investment, robust first-quarter tourism figures and the launch of Malta’s first ever direct transatlantic air service create a compelling outlook for Summer 2026. For hotels, restaurants, bars, attractions and operators across the visitor economy, the data points consistently to continued growth in arrivals, stronger business volumes and an increasingly diverse international visitor base throughout the season.
The NSO’s March 2026 inbound tourism release confirms broad-based strength across all key indicators. For the first quarter, the 806,563 arrivals were accompanied by 4.5 million total nights spent and expenditure of €584.7 million, 15 per cent above the equivalent period last year.
The United Kingdom remained Malta’s most important individual source market by volume in Q1, contributing 160,000 tourists, a 23.0 per cent increase, and generating €124 million in expenditure. Poland was the standout performer among all markets, delivering 133,000 tourists, a 39.4 per cent year-on-year increase, with expenditure rising by 34.4 per cent to €78.3 million. Italy, Ireland and Scandinavia also recorded solid gains.
American visitors also showed encouraging momentum. US arrivals rose by 41.8 per cent to 17,000 in the first quarter, with average per capita expenditure of €1,315 — the highest of any source market. That performance takes on added significance ahead of Delta Air Lines’ new threetimes-weekly direct service between New York JFK and Malta launching this summer, which is expected to provide a substantial boost to Malta’s US tourism ambitions.
Accommodation Sector Keeps Pace
The accommodation sector has continued to absorb growing demand effectively. In the first quarter of 2026, total guests in collective accommodation reached 655,000, with total nights spent standing at almost 2.6 million. In Malta specifically, guests increased by 15.6 per cent over Q1 2025 and nights spent rose by 11 per cent. The net use of bed-places stood at 52.9 per cent, with four-star hotels continuing to account for the largest share of guest nights.
As of March 2026, Malta had 359 active collective accommodation establishments, with a net capacity of 23,878 bedrooms and 55,308 bed-places. This compares with 323 establishments and 21,717 bedrooms recorded in March 2025, reflecting continued investment in accommodation supply.
A Strong Summer Ahead
Taken together, expanded airline schedules, ongoing airport investment, robust first-quarter tourism figures and the launch of Malta’s first ever direct transatlantic air service create a compelling outlook for Summer 2026. For hotels, restaurants, bars, attractions and operators across the visitor economy, the data points consistently to continued growth in arrivals, stronger business volumes and an increasingly diverse international visitor base throughout the season.
