Total outbound tourists for the second quarter in 2018 were estimated at 146,162, an increase of 16.5 per cent over the corresponding quarter of 2017, the National Statistics Office said on Tuesday.

Between April and June 2018, outbound tourist trips towards non-EU countries increased by 39.8 per cent over the same quarter in 2017.Italy and the United Kingdom remained the most popular destinations, with a joint share of 49.0 per cent of total tourist trips.

Total nights spent by outbound tourists increased by 3.2 per cent, amounting to 943,085 nights. In absolute terms, the majority of guest nights (55.5 per cent) were spent in rented accommodation establishments. 

Total estimated outlay by outbound tourists between April and June increased by 9.2 per cent over the same quarter of 2017, and stood at €118.3 million, equivalent to an average €809 per trip. 

January-June 2018 Total outbound tourist trips between January and June 2018 numbered 283,891, an increase of 18.0 per cent over 2017.

Total nights spent by outbound tourists went up by 9.9 per cent, reaching nearly 1.8 million nights. In addition, total estimated outlay by resident tourists stood at €221.5 million, 10.1 per cent higher than that recorded for the same period in 2017.