Italy most popular destination for Maltese travellers

The most popular destination among Maltese travellers between January and May this year was Italy, accounting for 28.3 per cent of the total number of those who went abroad by air and sea, the National Statistics Office said.

This was followed by the UK, Belgium and Germany.

In the January-May period, the number of Maltese passengers departing by air and sea amounted to 83,203, an increase of seven per cent over the same period a year ago. Of these, about 97.3 per cent spent less than six months away from Malta.

Maltese passengers during May reached a total of 21,870. Of these, 17,651 travelled by air, an increase of 47.1 per cent when compared to the same month last year. The overseas stay of the majority of Maltese air passengers - about 97.1 per cent - did not exceed six months.