Malta recorded the second-highest increase in overnight tourism stays across the EU during the first half of 2026, according to new Eurostat figures.Overnight stays in Malta’s tourist accommodation increased by 9.9% compared with the first six months of 2025, placing the country behind only Ireland, which registered a 14.6% increase.Slovakia followed Malta with a 5.9% rise, while nine EU countries saw tourism nights decline. Cyprus recorded the sharpest drop at 7.7%, followed by Romania at 6.7%.Across the EU as a whole, 1.321 billion overnight stays were recorded between January and June 2026, up 1.7% from 1.299 billion during the same period last year.Malta also stood out when it came to its reliance on international tourism. Foreign visitors accounted for 95.2% of overnight stays in Malta, the highest share anywhere in the EU.Cyprus followed at 92.6%, while Luxembourg stood at 87.7%. Across the bloc, foreign visitors accounted for 48.9% of all tourism nights.Eurostat also found that nights spent by foreign visitors across the EU grew by 2.5%, nearly three times the 0.9% increase recorded among domestic visitors.What do you make of Malta recording one of the EU’s strongest tourism increases so far this year?•