Last Updated on Monday, 21 February, 2022 at 3:02 pm by Andre Camilleri
Total outbound tourist trips between January and December 2021 numbered 303,067, an increase of 54.2% over 2020, the National Statistics Office said in a statement.
The statistics relate to outbound tourism, which comprises of the activities of Maltese residents travelling to, and staying in places outside Malta.
157,158 used low-cost airlines, while 121,660 used other airlines. 24,249 used sea transport.
236,132 travelled to EU destinations, while 66,935 went to non-EU destinations.
Total nights spent by outbound tourists went up by 71.3%, surpassing 2.8 million nights. In addition, total estimated outlay by resident tourists stood at €252.6 million, an increase of 80.9% than that recorded for the same period in 2020.
Q4 2021
In terms of the fourth quarter of 2021 (October-December), a total of 63,104 outbound tourist trips were undertaken for holiday purposes, followed by 43,808 trips for visiting friends and relatives.
Most outbound tourists during the fourth quarter were aged between 25 and 44 years (52.2%), followed by those within the 45-64 age bracket (26%). Italy remained the most popular destination, with a share of 37.2% of total tourist trips. The largest share of guest nights (62.6%) was spent in non-rented accommodation establishments. The average length of stay of total outbound tourists stood at 7.8 nights. Total expenditure by outbound tourists between October and December reached €101.4 million, equivalent to an average €823 per person.
