MaltaMedia.com

The National Statistics Office (NSO) revealed that outbound trips during June totalled 26,049, a slight increase over 2011. Same-day visitors increased substantially, bringing total outbound visitor trips to 32,587.

During the month under review, 86 per cent of outbound tourists travelled to EU destinations, while a further 14 per cent chose to travel outside the EU. Italy and the UK continued to be the most popular destinations among Maltese tourists, with shares of 31 and 20 per cent of the total respectively. Almost all European markets recorded decreases, with the exception of the French market, which remained virtually unchanged from last year.

The majority of outbound tourists were males, and stood at 14,542, or 56 per cent of the total. On the other hand, female tourists declined by 5 per cent. The largest proportion of outbound tourists were in the 25-44 age bracket, followed by those in the 45-64 age bracket.

NSO added that total outbound trips recorded by mid-2012 were estimated at 135,603, up by 2 per cent when compared to last year. An estimated 86 per cent of outbound tourists chose to visit EU destinations, with Italy and the UK prevailing as the most popular destinations. Trips to Italy increased by 5 per cent, while those to the UK dropped by 5 per cent. Same-day visitors numbered 18,559.

Just over half the total outbound trips were made for holiday purposes, while a further 24 per cent were undertaken for business and professional purposes. Non-package travel was significantly higher than package travel, making up an estimated 79 per cent of total outbound trips.

Total nights spent abroad amounted to 986,798, while the average length of stay was estimated at 7.3 nights. The majority of outbound tourists made use of collective accommodation establishments while abroad. The average length of stay in collective accommodation stood at 5.2 nights, while that recorded in private accommodation was 11.7 nights.
Trips towards EU destinations had an average length of stay of 6.1 nights, while the average stay registered for Non-EU countries stood at 14.7 nights.

The total budgeted expenditure incurred by outbound tourists during the first half of 2012 stood at €127 million, or an average of €128 per person per night.