Trips by residents of Malta in 2017's fourth quarter were estimated at 160,416, 16.6% more than the same period last year.
Trips to non-EU countries increased by 34.3%. Italy and the United Kingdom remained the most popular destinations, with a share of 49.7% of total tourist trips.The National Statistics Office said
Tourists from Malta to France during this period increased by 60.4%, to Germany by 17%, to Italy by 10%.
Total nights spent by outbound tourists increased by 13.1%, surpassing one million nights. In absolute terms, the majority of guest nights (55.2%) were spent in private accommodation establishments.
Total estimated outlay by outbound tourists increased by 15.6% and stood at €137.7 million, equivalent to an average €858 per trip.
Total outbound tourist trips between January and December 2017 numbered 572,500, an increase of 15.2% over 2016.
Total nights spent by outbound tourists went up by 12.6%, surpassing 3.9 million nights. In addition, total estimated outlay by resident tourists stood at €516.5 million, 11.9% higher than that recorded for the same period in 2016.