Over 419,000 Locals Travelled Abroad In First 6 Months Of 2026

Malta residents made an estimated 214,123 outbound tourist trips during the second quarter of 2026, marking a 2.5% increase compared with the same period in 2025, according to the latest figures.

Despite the rise in travel, the total number of nights spent abroad fell slightly by 0.5% to 1,486,597.

Holiday travel remained the main reason for going abroad, accounting for 139,802 trips. A further 46,869 journeys were made to visit friends and relatives.

Travellers aged between 25 and 44 years represented the largest group of outbound tourists, making up 47.4% of all trips, while those aged between 45 and 64 accounted for 30.7%.

Travel to both EU and non-EU destinations increased during the quarter, rising by 2.5% and 2.4% respectively. Italy continued to be the preferred destination for Maltese residents, attracting 37.7% of all outbound tourist trips.

Outbound tourists spent around 1.5 million nights abroad during the quarter. More than half of these, or 54.2%, were spent in non-rented accommodation, such as staying with family or friends. The average length of stay stood at 6.9 nights.

Resident travellers were estimated to have spent €195.1 million between April and June, with average expenditure reaching €911 per person.

Looking at the first six months of the year, outbound travel continued to grow. A total of 419,940 trips were recorded, up 7.6% over the first half of 2025.

Nights spent abroad increased by 10.6% to 3.1 million, while total expenditure reached an estimated €388.5 million, 2.9% higher than a year earlier.

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