Outbound trips up by 4.6% over September 2011

Outbound tourist trips during September amounted to 39,076, an increase of 4.6 per cent over the corresponding month last year. Total nights spent abroad between January and September were estimated at 1,905,811.

The number of outbound tourist trips towards EU destinations was estimated at 33,329, while a further 5,747 trips headed towards Non-EU destinations. Trips to Italy and the UK remained the most popular, with shares of 32 and 18 per cent respectively.

The largest share of outbound tourists were males (59 per cent). Males increased by 14 per cent, whereas females decreased by 7 per cent. Most outbound tourists fell within the 25-44 age bracket (15,576 or 40 per cent of the total), and were followed by the 45-64 age group (12,182). Out of 43,928 outbound visitor trips, the number of same-day visitors was estimated at 4,852 - a decrease of 11 per cent when compared to 2011.

Outbound tourism throughout this nine-month period stood at 247,935, an increase of 5 per cent when compared to the previous year. An estimated 86 per cent of outbound tourists chose to visit EU destinations, with Italy and the UK being the most popular.

Trips to Italy increased by 4 per cent, while those to the UK dropped by 4 per cent, widening the gap between the top two destinations. In total, both EU and Non-EU trips registered increases, reaching 213,745 and 34,190 respectively.

Just over half the total outbound trips were carried out for holiday purposes, while a further 19 per cent were undertaken for business and professional reasons. At 72 per cent, non-package travel was significantly higher than package travel.

Further analysis shows that the absolute majority of outbound tourists made use of collective accommodation establishments while abroad. The average length of stay in collective accommodation stood at 6.0 nights, while that recorded for private accommodation was 11.8 nights. Furthermore, trips to EU destinations had an average length of stay of 6.7 nights, while the average for Non-EU countries stood at 14.0 nights.

The longest average length of stay for European countries was registered in the UK at 7.9 nights, followed by Germany with 6.9 nights.

Total outlay by Maltese tourists during the first three quarters stood at €254.2 million, equivalent to €133.4 per person per night. Package expenditure per night stood at €100.4, while non-package trips cost an average €53.8 a night.