Trips originating from Malta last May were estimated at 18,719, up by 11.7 per cent when compared to the same month last year, the National Statistics Office said.

It said that outbound trips to EU destinations stood at 16,061, while non-EU trips were estimated at 2,658.

Overall increases were recorded towards all destinations, with the UK and Italy remaining the most popular.

The majority of outbound tourists, 59 per cent, were male, while the largest proportion of outbound trips were carried out by those in the 25-44 age bracket, totalling 7,420.

Same-day visitors amounted to 3,271.

Outbound passengers for this period were estimated at 92,658, up by one per cent when compared to last year.

An estimated 85 per cent of outbound trips were towards EU countries. The most visited countries were the UK and Italy, similar to last year.

The largest proportion of outbound passengers were in the 25-44 age bracket, standing at 40,302.

The 0-24 age group registered a substantial increase in trips and stood at 16,189. Same-day visitors for the first five months of the year were estimated at 10,841