The number of Malta residents going abroad in the first six months this year was half of that in the same period last year and amounted to 57,684, according to the National Statistics Office.

The NSO said that the number in the first six months reflected a 50.1% drop over 2020.

Malta restricted travel in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic reached Malta, reopening it in July of that year. But travel all across Europe has remained largely flat over the past year, despite Malta officially restarting its tourism season in June 2021.

The situation remains very volatile, with travellers having to follow strict procedures, which vary according to the country being visited. Locally, all incoming travellers must present proof of vaccination to avoid mandatory quarantine. 

According to the NSO figures, those going abroad for holidays spent more days away with these going up by 23.5% and totalling 831,118 nights.

The total estimated outlay by resident tourists stood at €52.6 million, 35.3% less than that recorded for the same period in 2020.

April to June

The NSO said that the number of outbound tourists for the year's second quarter was estimated at 38,967, while total nights spent amounted to 519,489.

In this quarter, 19,215 trips were undertaken to visit friends and relatives, another 9,740 trips for holiday purposes.

Most outbound tourists were aged between 25 and 44 years (55.6%), followed by those within the 45-64 age bracket (24.1%).

Italy remained the most popular destination, with a share of 37.8% per cent of total tourist trips taken.

The largest share of guest nights (79.6%) was spent in non-rented accommodation establishments. 

The average length of stay of total outbound tourists stood at 13.3 nights.

Total expenditure by outbound tourists between April and June reached €34.5 million, equivalent to an average €886 per person.