90,851 tourists travelled out of Malta in first 3 months of 2023

May 16 2023

According to the National Statistics Office, a total of 90,851 outbound trips were undertaken for holiday trips in the first three months of this year.

Meanwhile, 43,664 trips were taken for visiting friends and relatives, with most outbound tourists aged between 25 and 44 years, or 52.5%.

This age bracket was followed by those within the 45-64 age bracket at 27.5%, with Italy remaining the most popular destination with a share of 35.4%.

The largest share of guest nights was spent in non-rented accommodation establishments (54.9%), whilst the average length of stay of total outbound tourists stood at 6.8 nights.

The €131.6 million mark was surpassed in total expenditure by outbound tourists, averaging €832 per person.

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Shaun Farrugia promotes Maltese musicians abroad in new band

May 16 2023

Shaun Farrugia had the opportunity to both fulfil one of his life-long dreams of playing in a band whilst also promoting Maltese musicians abroad in his two latest shows.

Performing in London and Brighton, Farrugia revealed to MaltaDaily that when approached by his team to look for a band, he expressed his wish to have local artists by his side.

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A post shared by Shaun Farrugia (@shaunfarrrugia)

He told this newsroom that he wanted to ‘give them the opportunity to play shows overseas alongside me and live our dream together. The talent in Malta is endless. It’s the opportunities which are needed to help us grow and achieve great things.’

Sharing on Instagram, Farrugia was joined by Daniel Micallef, Aleandro Spiteri Monsigneur, Martin Caruana and Shaun Abdilla, saying that he had the time of his life and cannot wait to do it again all summer.

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WHO issues warning against artificial sweeteners

May 16 2023

The World Health Organisation has just released a warning against artificial sweeteners, which many use to replace sugar in their cup of tea or various other products.

New guidelines have just been released by the United Nation’s health agency, advising against the use of the non-sugar sweeteners, also referred to as NSS.

No long term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children was conferred in the use of NSS, with other suggestions of potential undesirable effects such as increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mortality in adults.

The sweeteners have long been at the centre of controversy, and the latest research surrounding them suggest that there is no benefits when it comes to weight control.

In a statement, director for nutrition and food safety Francesco Branca said that people need to find other ways to reduce free sugar intake. This could be done by eating foods with naturally occurring sugars like fruit, or unsweetened food and beverages.

People should reduce the sweetness of their diet altogether, starting early in life, the director said.

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Happy 31st birthday to the world’s oldest living dog Bobi!

May 16 2023

The world’s oldest living dog has just turned 31!

Bobi was born on May 11th 1992, and his beloved owner Leonel Costa will be organising a big birthday party for his best friend in his hometown of Conqueiros in Portugal.

Bobi, who only eats human food, will be served local meats and fish as guests attend the big day. Bobi is reportedly set to perform in a little dance performance with an attending troupe!

‘More than 100 people’ are due to attend the party, Costa told Guinness World Records, with some flying from abroad just for the occasion.

Ever since Bobi was awarded the title, lots of journalists visited the dog to snap pictures and meet the star. Bobi is reportedly in good health despite his age, but he does take routine vet check-ups.

His age was confirmed by the Veterinary Medical Service of the Municipality of Leiria as well as SIAC, a pet database authorised by the Portuguese government.

More about Bobi here.

#MaltaDaily