A report by the National Statistics Office on Outbound Tourism has shown that during the third period of this year (July till September), outbound tourist decreased by 75.1% when compared with corresponding quarter of 2019.
The total number of outbound tourists is estimated at 51,855 while in 2019 the number amounted to 208,206 tourists.
It should be noted that, after 4 months of closure, the Malta International Airport reopened on 1 July for a limited number of countries. On 15 July flights to all other flight destinations were allowed as well with the health authorities but some countries are still being marked in the amber list.
The reduction in outbound tourists can also be seen in the total of outbound tourist trips which numbered at 167,427, a decrease of 67.4% over 2019 (513,207 trips).
The report also shows that, during the quarter under review, while there were 16,540 outbound tourist trips undertaken for holiday purposes, most outbound tourists visited see friends and relatives: 27,120. Only 3,770 people visited for business or professional services.
This seems to be reflected in the most common duration of stay and in the higher numbers of outbound tourism who did not need to rent accommodation.
The highest percentage of outbound tourists stayed for longer periods of time as 27,873 people stayed for seven days and over. However, 13,341 stayed for only one to three nights while the remaining stayed for four to six nights instead. As for accommodation, only 20,299 rented a place while the rest (31,556) made use of non-rented accommodation.
The report also shows the most sought-after destinations, and, despite being at the top of COVID-19 case charts in the EU, Italy remained the most popular destination, with a share of 46.5% of total tourist trips.
As for the total estimated expenditure by outbound tourists between July and September, there was a decreased of 82.5% over the same quarter of 2019, and stood at €35.2 million, equivalent to an average of €680 per person.
In addition, total estimated outlay by resident tourists stood at €116.6 million, 73.9% lower than that recorded for the same period in 2019 (€446.1 million).