Tourism from Malta in the third quarter of the year increased by 6.4 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to official figures.

During the third quarter of 2016, the number of outbound tourist trips towards EU countries stood at 137,513, an increase of 8.5 per cent over the same quarter in 2015.

Italy and the United Kingdom remained the most popular destinations, with a share of 46.9 per cent of total tourist trips.

Total nights spent by outbound tourists increased by 3.3 per cent, reaching 1,157,762 nights.

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

Total estimated outlay by resident tourists between July and September increased by 4.3 per cent over the same quarter of 2015, and stood at €162.3 million, equivalent to an average €1,072 per trip.

Total outbound tourist trips between January and September 2016 numbered 359,181, an increase of 13.9 per cent over 2015. Total nights spent by outbound tourists went up by 6.5 per cent, reaching almost 2.6 million nights.