Maltese travelling more but spending less per trip, NSO figures show

Maltese residents are travelling abroad more frequently but spending less per trip, according to figures published by the National Statistics Office (NSO) on Wednesday.

Between July and September 2026, outbound tourist trips reached 284,486, an increase of 5.1 per cent compared to the same period last year.

However, despite the increase in travel, total expenditure declined marginally by 0.5 per cent to €303 million, while average spending per traveller fell from €1,125 to €1,065.

The figures also show that residents are opting for shorter trips, with the average length of stay declining from 7.7 nights in 2025 to 7.5 nights this year.

Italy remains favourite, while Spain gains popularity

Italy continued to dominate outbound travel, accounting for 38.9 per cent of all trips during the third quarter.

A total of 110,575 trips were made to Italy, representing a 5.5 per cent increase compared to the corresponding period last year.

Spain, meanwhile, recorded particularly strong growth, with trips increasing by 33.4 per cent to 20,294.

In contrast, travel to Germany declined by 19.4 per cent, while Greece and France registered decreases of 18.2 per cent and 12.7 per cent respectively.

Travel to non-EU destinations increased by 11.5 per cent, outpacing the 3.1 per cent growth recorded for EU destinations.

Low-cost airlines see double-digit growth

Low-cost airlines continued to attract more travellers, carrying 166,285 outbound tourists during the quarter, an increase of 14.1 per cent.

Meanwhile, the number travelling with other airlines declined by 8.1 per cent to 83,785.

The figures also indicate a shift away from package holidays, with organised package trips falling by 17.2 per cent to 38,472.

Non-package trips, on the other hand, increased by 9.7 per cent to 246,014.

Holiday travel remained the main reason for travelling abroad, accounting for 200,558 trips, followed by 53,021 trips to visit friends and relatives.

Business and professional travel accounted for a further 16,479 trips.

Outbound travel expenditure reaches €691 million in nine months

Looking at the first nine months of 2026, outbound tourist trips increased by 6.6 per cent to 704,426, compared to 661,026 during the corresponding period in 2025.

Total nights spent abroad also increased by 6.6 per cent, exceeding 5.2 million.

Overall expenditure reached €691.4 million, up 1.4 per cent year-on-year.

Nevertheless, average expenditure per traveller declined by 4.8 per cent, from €1,031 to €982.