What cost of living crisis? In 2023, locals spent €734.8 million on travel

During 2023, locals traveling abroad spent a total of €734.8 million, 42 per cent higher than that recorded for 2022.

Figures published by the National Statistics Office (NSO) on Monday (today), revealed that in 2023, Malta-based residents embarked on a total of 814,005 trips abroad, reflecting a significant 35.3 per cent increase compared to 2022.

On the other hand, the NSO notes that an estimated 218,288 trips abroad were undertaken by locals during the fourth quarter of 2023, spanning from October to December. This represents an increase of 21.1 per cent over the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

While 140,554 trips were taken for holiday purposes, 51,528 trips were taken for visiting friends and relatives.

The majority of local tourists were between 25 and 44 years of age (48.4 per cent) followed by those within the 45-64 age bracket (28.6 per cent).

As expected, Italy remained as the strongest destination for locals with a share of 33.3 per cent of total tourist trips.

Nonetheless, tourism towards EU and non-EU countries was on the rise as NSO marked an increase of 19.3 and 26.6 per cent respectively when compared to 2022 numbers.

During the period reviewed, locals spent nearly 1.5 million nights abroad, marking a 23.1 per cent increase. On the other hand, Malta-based tourists spent over 5.6 million nights abroad in 2023, showing a 33.9 per cent increase.

54.6 per cent of which were spent in non-rented accommodation establishments. In addition, the average length of stay was registered at 6.8 nights.

Meanwhile, spending by Maltese tourists during the last quarter of the year increased by 23.6 per cent when compared to the same quarter in 2022. The total stood at €196.2 million, equivalent to €899 per tourist.