Outbound tourists rise by 28% in third quarter

In the third quarter of 2023, Malta experienced a rise in outbound tourism, reflecting a total of 173,848 tourist trips undertaken for holiday purposes, with an additional 41,342 trips dedicated to visiting friends and relatives, NSO data shows.

The majority of outbound tourists fell within the 25 to 44 age group, accounting for 44.2% of the total, followed by those in the 45 to 64 age bracket at 27.6%.

Outbound tourism towards both European Union and non-EU countries witnessed significant increases, rising by 26.5% and 35.1% respectively, compared to the same quarter in 2022. Italy maintained its place as the most favored destination, capturing 38.9% of the total tourist trips.

The total number of nights spent by outbound tourists saw a surge, increasing by 30.5% to surpass 1.8 million nights. The majority of these nights, constituting 57.7%, were spent in rented accommodation establishments. The average length of stay for outbound tourists stood at 7.3 nights.

In terms of expenditure, the quarter saw a notable uptick, with total estimated expenditure by outbound tourists escalating by 37.1% compared to the corresponding quarter in 2022. The total expenditure amounted to €241.4 million, equivalent to an average expenditure of €973 per capita.

Since the beginning of the year, 595,717 outbound tourist excursions were made in total, marking an increase of 41.3% over the same time in 2022. The total number of nights spent by visitors travelling abroad increased by 38.3%, reaching 4.1 million nights. 

Furthermore, the total expected expenditure made by resident visitors was €538.7 million, which represents a 50.1% increase over the reported amount for the same period in 2022.