Total outbound tourists for the second quarter in 2015 were estimated at 95,927, an increase of 15.3 per cent when compared to the same quarter in 2014, the NSO said today.

April-June 2015

During the second quarter of 2015, the number of outbound tourist trips towards EU countries stood at 86,627, an increase of 19.3 per cent over the same quarter in 2014. Italy and the United Kingdom remained the most popular destinations, with a share of 54.2 per cent of total tourist trips.

Total nights spent by outbound tourists increased by 9.6 per cent, reaching 738,182 nights.

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

Total estimated outlay by resident tourists between April and June increased by 16.8 per cent over the same quarter of last year, and stood at €89.5 million, equivalent to an average of €933 per trip.

January-June 2015

Total outbound tourist trips between January and June 2015 numbered 174,881, an increase of 8.9 per cent over 2014. Total nights spent by outbound tourists went up by 1.5 per cent, reaching 1.3 million nights. In addition, total estimated outlay by resident tourists stood at €160.6 million, 8.6 per cent higher than that recorded for the same period in 2014.

In a statement, the government sais that during the second quarter of 2015, the number of Maltese travelling abroad on holiday increased by 15.3% over the same period the previous year.

The average number of days spent abroad was eight, with the majority heading to other European countries. The total number of outbound trips towards EU countries stood at 86,627.

"The National Statistics Office is estimating that Maltese spent around €90 million during their holidays abroad between April and June this year. This is a 16.8% rise over the same months in 2014".

The government said - "This is another confirmation of the sound financial situation our families are in. This is also evident through a European Commission release, which read that 81% of families believe the economy is moving ahead positively".

"Even statistics from the Central Bank show that over the past two years, bank deposits by families increased by nearly €2 billion. Although this is more than double the increase in deposits that were made under the previous administration, the opposition remains isolated in its negativity when mentioning the squeeze in wages".

 

The government said it will continue to announce more positive measures in the coming months.