More than 24,400 Maltese went abroad in March, an increase of six per cent compared to the same month last year, official statistics show.
Trips to EU countries amounted to more than 21,000 while another 2,970 were to non-EU countries. The number of EU trips declined marginally while non-EU trips more than doubled.
Italy and UK remained the most popular destinations, swallowing up 61 per cent of the Maltese market.
Between January and March, more than 63,000 people went abroad, an increase of three per cent over the same period in 2011.