3.4% decrease of Maltese travelling abroad in May

NSO statistics show that trips abroad by Maltese  during May totalled 22,937, a decrease of 3.4 % over the comparative month in 2012. The number of outbound tourist trips towards EU countries stood at 19,960, while a further 2,978 trips headed towards Non-EU destinations. Both markets registered decreases of 3 and 7 % respectively. Italy and the UK continued to be the most popular destinations among residents of Malta, with market shares of 32 and 23 % respectively. When compared to the corresponding month in 2012, the Italian market advanced by 24 %, whereas the British market decreased by 14 %. The majority of outbound tourists were males (61 %). Furthermore, 40 % fell in the 25-44-year-old age bracket and were followed by those in the 45-64 category (33 %). Out of 28,326 outbound visitor trips, same-day visitors stood at 5,389.   January-May 2013 Outbound tourism throughout this fi ve-month period stood at 121,044 - an increase of 11 % when compared to the previous year. An estimated 86 % of outbound tourists chose to visit EU destinations. Both EU and Non-EU trips registered increases, reaching 104,286 and 16,758 respectively. Italy and the UK remained the two most popular destinations, and shared between them 59 % of the total outbound tourism market. Almost all European markets exhibited upward movements, except for the German market, which decreased by 11 %.At 41 %, the largest share of outbound tourists fell within the 25-44 age group. These were followed by the 45-64-year-old category, which stood at 32 %. 59 % of these tourists were males. Out of 133,566 outbound visitor trips, same-day visitors were estimated at 12,522