Further growth in overseas travel

Just over 37,000 Maltese travelled overseas in August, according to the National Statistics Office.

In all, 37,337 Maltese residents left our shores during the hottest summer month.

Of these, 31,386 travelled to EU destinations, the most popular being Italy and the United Kingdom.

Between January and August, 198,828 Maltese residents travelled overseas, an increase of 5.7 per cent over the corresponding period last year. For August alone the increase was of 4.2 per cent over the same month in 2007. Of these, 85.6 per cent travelled to EU destinations, again the most popular being Italy and the UK.

Male passengers exceeded female ones, the first accounting for 57.1 per cent of the total.

The largest proportion of outbound passengers – 45 per cent – comprised passengers aged between 25 and 44 years, followed by those aged between 45 to 64, accounting for 37.8 per cent of the total travellers.