Sardinia was one of the most popular destinations for Maltese travellers this summer, while Lourdes is still a firm favourite, a number of travel agencies have told The Malta Independent.

Other favourite destinations among the Maltese this summer included the French Riviera, Switzerland, Germany, northern Italy and the United States.

The travel agencies who spoke to this newspaper said tours to Far Eastern countries did not do so well this year compared to previous years.

Cruises, especially those departing from Malta, proved to be very intriguing for the Maltese, the travel agencies said.

The Lago di Garda in Italy was also one of the favourite destinations this summer for the Maltese who decided to go to “safe” places rather than destinations where trouble was rife, such as London.

The number of Maltese tourists who chose to visit Sofia in Bulgaria this summer was up, compared to the same period last year, but at the same time the travel agencies saw a fall in the number of Maltese travellers to Prague in the Czech Republic.

The agencies also saw an increase in the number of Maltese travellers who chose the Greek island of Rhodes as the destination for their well-deserved summer holiday.

There was also a rise in the number of Maltese who flew to the USA, according to the travel agents.