Total outbound visitor trips in the first quarter were estimated at 81,398,
an increase of 6.7 per cent when compared to the corresponding
quarter last year, the NSO said today.

It said there were 77,334 outbound tourist trips, an increase of 6.2 per cent over quarter one in 2013. Excluding cruise liner passengers, this increase
stood at 6.3 per cent.

A total of 39,501 outbound visits were carried out for holiday purposes, while a further 17,370 were for business purposes. The number of outbound tourist trips towards EU countries during the first three months stood at 66,622, an increase of 6.0 per cent over the corresponding quarter last year. Italy and the United Kingdom remained the most popular destinations, with a share of 61.7 per cent of total tourist trips.

Trips to non-EU countries increased by 8.4 per cent.

Total nights spent by outbound tourists went up by 10.0 per cent, reaching 598,300 nights.

In absolute terms, the majority of guest nights were spent in private accommodation establishments.

Total estimated outlay between January and March rose by 4.3 per
cent when compared to the corresponding period last year, and stood at €71.2 million, equivalent to €119 per night.