The number of Maltese passengers departing by air and sea between January and March amounted to 46,683, an increase of 10.6 per cent over the same period last year, the National Statistics Office reported yesterday.

Almost 86 per cent of the total travelled to European Union destinations; the most visited countries being the UK and Italy.

The majority of outbound travellers – 62.9 per cent – were men.

The largest proportion of outbound passengers – 50 per cent – comprised passengers aged between 25 and 44 years, followed by those in the 45-64 age bracket who accounted for 35.9 per cent of total Maltese travellers.

In March, Maltese residents departing by air and sea were estimated at 19,333, or 13 per cent more than in the same month last year.

Of these, 16,853 travelled to European Union destinations, the most popular being Italy and the UK. 92.3 per cent travelled by air.