Outbound tourist trips during March amounted to 24,451, an increase of 6.0 per cent over the corresponding month last year. Total nights spent abroad during the first quarter were estimated at 410,834.

The number of outbound tourist trips towards EU countries was calculated at 21,481, while a further 2,970 trips headed towards non-EU destinations. EU trips declined marginally, whereas non-EU trips more than doubled. Italy and the UK remained the most popular tourism destinations and shared between them 61 per cent of the total tourism market.

The largest share of outbound tourists were males at 14,833, or 61 per cent of the total. Male tourists increased by 17 per cent, whereas females dropped by 7 per cent. Most tourists fell within the 25-44 age bracket (9,899), and were followed by the 45-64 age group (7,252). Out of 25,861 outbound visitor trips, same-day visitors were estimated at 1,410.

Outbound tourists during the first quarter totalled 63,248, an increase of 3 per cent when compared with 2011.

An estimated 87 per cent of outbound tourists chose to visit EU destinations, with Italy and the UK prevailing as the most popular destinations. Trips to Italy advanced by 22 per cent, while those to the UK declined by 4 per cent. EU outbound trips remained almost at par with last year’s level, reaching 54,851, whereas the number of trips to non-EU destinations increased by 19 per cent to 8,397.

Male passengers outnumbered females and reached 37,996, or 60 per cent of the total. Same- day visitors for the first quarter numbered 3,265.

Just over half the total outbound trips were carried out for holiday purposes, while a further 26 per cent were undertaken for business and professional reasons. Non-package travel was significantly higher than package travel, with an estimated 80 per cent of total travel.

Further analysis shows that more than half the outbound tourists made use of collective accommodation establishments while abroad. The average length of stay in collective accommodation stood at 5.0 nights, while that recorded for private accommodation was estimated at 10.1.

Trips to EU destinations had an average length of stay of 5.5 nights, while the average for non-EU countries stood at 13.1 nights. The longest average length of stay among European countries was registered in the Spanish market (6.8 nights), closely followed by that in the UK (6.5 nights).

Total outlay by Maltese tourists during the first quarter stood at €57.7 million, equivalent to €141 per person per night. Package expenditure per night stood at €95.2, while non-package trips cost an average €57.0 a night.

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