UK, Italy remain preferred destinations of Maltese tourists

Total outbound tourists for the third quarter in 2016 were estimated at 151,386, an increase of 6.4 per cent over the corresponding quarter last year

During the third quarter of 2016, the number of outbound tourist trips towards EU countries stood at 137,513, an increase of 8.5 per cent over the same quarter in 2015.

Data by the National Statistics Office shows that Italy and the United Kingdom remained the most popular destinations, with a share of 46.9 per cent of total tourist trips.

Total nights spent by outbound tourists increased by 3.3 per cent, reaching 1,157,762 nights. In absolute terms, the majority of guest nights were spent in collective accommodation establishments.

Total estimated outlay by resident tourists between July and September increased by 4.3 per cent over the same quarter of 2015, and stood at €162.3 million, equivalent to an average €1,072 per trip.

January-September

Total outbound tourist trips between January and September 2016 numbered 359,181, an increase of 13.9 per cent over 2015.

Total nights spent by outbound tourists went up by 6.5 per cent, reaching almost 2.6 million nights. In addition, total estimated outlay by resident tourists stood at €342.3 million, 8.4 per cent higher than that recorded for the same period in 2015.