Total outbound tourists for the first quarter in 2026 were estimated at 205,817, an increase of 13.5 per cent over the corresponding quarter of 2025. Total nights spent increased by 23.2 per cent and amounted to 1,627,751, the NSO said Tuesday.

January-March 2026

During the quarter under review, a total of 129,590 outbound tourist trips were undertaken for holiday purposes, followed by 48,472 trips for visiting friends and relatives. Most outbound tourists were aged between 25 and 44 years (50.1 per cent), followed by those within the 45-64 age bracket (28.8 per cent).

Outbound tourists towards EU and non-EU countries increased by 14.2 and 11.6 per cent respectively, when compared to the same quarter of 2025. Italy remained the most popular destination, with a share of 31.7 per cent of total tourist trips.

Total nights spent by outbound tourists in the first quarter of 2026 reached 1.6 million nights. The largest share of guest nights (62.0 per cent) was spent in non-rented accommodation establishments. The average length of stay of total outbound tourists stood at 7.9 nights.

Total estimated expenditure by outbound tourists between January and March stood at €193.4 million, equivalent to an average €940 per capita.