Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546341
GozoToday is a weekly newspaper focused primarily on Gozo. It hopes to serve as a source of information on business, culture, entertainment and of course current affairs. Gozo has a special charm about it but it is also a bustling Island with an identity of its own. GozoToday is published every Friday and is available to numerous outlets in Gozo and on the ferries that carry so many visitors to Gozo from Malta and beyond. GozoToday MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan San Gwann SGN 9016 DEPUTY EDITOR: LAURA CALLEJA Tel: (356) 21 382741-3, 21 382745-6 Website: www.maltatoday.com.mt E-mail: lcalleja@mediatoday.com.mt 3 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 28 AUGUST 2026 NEWS Gozo sees 12.6% rise in guests staying at hotels and other accommodation THE number of guests staying at hotels and other accommo- dation establishments in Gozo and Comino rose by 12.6% in the second quarter of 2026, reaching 42,169, according to figures published by the Nation- al Statistics Office (NSO). The number of nights spent on the islands also increased, rising by 13.5% to 114,788 nights be- tween April and June. Despite the increase in visi- tors, the average length of stay remained unchanged from the same period last year at 2.7 nights. The NSO said the net oc- cupancy rate of bed-places in Gozo and Comino stood at 47.8%, representing a decrease of 1.7 percentage points com- pared with the second quarter of 2025. Across Malta and Gozo, hotels and other accommodation es- tablishments recorded 857,857 guests and 3.61 million nights spent between April and June. Malta accounted for the vast majority of visitors, with 815,688 guests, an increase of 12.7% over the same quarter last year. Nights spent in Malta rose by 8.9% to 3,498,261. The average stay in Malta edged down to 4.3 nights, while the net occupancy rate fell by 0.2 percentage points to 72.5%. Nationally, the average length of stay decreased slightly to 4.2 nights, while the net use of bed-places stood at 71.3%, down 0.3 percentage points year-on- year. Four-star hotels accounted for the largest share of guest nights during the second quarter, at 48.2% of the total. By June, Malta had 368 active hotels and other accommoda- tion establishments, providing a net capacity of 24,355 bedrooms and 56,329 bed-places. Reporting by Laura Calleja The National Statistics Office says the number of guests staying at hotels and other accommodation establishments in Gozo and Comino has risen by 12.6% UK Madame Blanc Mysteries season five filming in Malta and Gozo The series, which follows Jean White as she becomes em- broiled in a string of mysteries, has previously used Malta as a backdrop, with the islands' vil- lages and Mediterranean scen- ery featuring prominently in the show. Lindsay is set to reprise her role as Jean, who combines her expertise in antiques with her investigative instincts as she finds herself drawn into new cases. Season five will continue the series' mix of cosy crime, village life, friendships and charac- ter-driven mysteries, with fa- miliar faces returning alongside new characters and storylines. The production is expected to bring further filming activity to locations around Malta and Gozo, although it is not clear whether filming for the fifth season has already been com- pleted. The new season is expected to air later in 2026 on Channel 5 in the UK and Acorn TV in North America. Reporting by Laura Calleja Fifth season of British mystery series filming in Malta and Gozo eason five will continue the series' mix of cosy crime, village life, friendships and character-driven mysteries, with familiar faces returning alongside new characters and storylines Tourists in Rabat, Gozo (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)