Maltese retain Italy and UK as favourite destinations

The number of outbound tourist trips towards EU countries in April stood at 21,481, while ta further 3,900 trips headed towards Non-EU destinations. Both markets increased by 10 and 29 per cent respectively. Italy and the UK continued to be the most popular destinations among Maltese tourists, with market shares of 31 and 26 per cent respectively. Over April last year, the British market went up by 14 per cent, and the Italian market by 20 per cent.

Nearly 60 per cent of outbound tourists were males, while 41 and 34 per cent fell in the 25-44 and 45-64 age groups respectively. Out of 29,077 outbound visitor trips, the number of same-day visitors was estimated at 3,696.

Outbound tourism throughout this four-month period stood at 98,106 - an increase of 14 per cent when compared to 2012. An estimated 86 per cent of outbound tourists chose to visit EU destinations, with Italy and the UK ranking as the most popular. Trips to Italy increased by 12 per cent and those to the UK by 13 per cent. In total, both EU and Non-EU trips registered increases, reaching 84,326 and 13,780 respectively.

At 41 per cent, the largest share of outbound tourists fell within the 25-44 age group. These were followed by the 45-64 segment at 31 per cent. Male tourists accounted for 58 per cent of the total.

Out of 105,239 outbound visitor trips, the number of same-day visitors was estimated at 7,133.