Malta's tourism no longer has shoulder months like it did in the past.
George Gregory
Malta's tourism is now spread much more evenly through the year. In 2025, arrivals in January to March were equal to 55% of arrivals in July to September, up from 39% in 2015. Only 21.9% of Malta's tourist accommodation nights fell in July and August, the lowest share in the EU, against 31.1% across the EU. Summer is still the busiest season, but the gap between peak and quieter months has narrowed.How we reached this verdict ↓
Analysis and evaluation
Malta's tourist year is far less seasonal than it was a decade ago. Summer is still the peak, but the quieter months now draw a much larger share of visitors.
The quieter months have caught up
| Year | January to March arrivals, as a share of July to September |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 39% |
| 2025 | 55% |
Inbound tourist arrivals. Source: The Malta Chamber, Tourism Vision 2026, page 20, drawing on NSO data and EY estimates.
The least summer-heavy country in the EU
In 2025, 21.9% of the nights tourists spent in Malta's accommodation fell in July and August. Across the EU, the share was 31.1%. Malta had the lowest concentration in the two peak months of any EU country.
Evaluation
Seasonality has not disappeared. Summer remains the busiest period, and the Malta Chamber points to continuing pressure in the peak months. But the evidence supports the speaker's point that the old pattern of a busy summer and distinct quieter months has largely flattened out. That is why the claim is rated Mostly true.
Editorial note
How we assessed this claim
We compared arrivals in the quieter months with summer arrivals over the past decade, and Malta's share of accommodation nights in July and August with the rest of the EU.
Mostly true, because the evidence shows the seasonal pattern has flattened markedly. A summer peak remains, so the quieter months have narrowed the gap rather than disappeared.
Limitations
- The two sources measure different things: the Malta Chamber's comparison uses inbound arrivals, while Eurostat counts nights spent in tourist accommodation.
- The winter-to-summer ratio measures seasonality overall. It is not a direct measure of the spring and autumn shoulder months.
Sources
- The Malta Chamber, Tourism Vision 2026, page 20 (NSO data and EY estimates)
- Eurostat, Summer peak: 31% of tourism nights in August and July