Cruise passengers increase by 60% over June 2010

During June 2011, there were 37 cruise liner calls, with an average 2,009 passengers per vessel, the National Statistics Office (NSO) reports. 

The number of passengers who disembarked in Malta stood at 7,402, while those who embarked from Malta amounted to 7,496.  The remaining passengers (59,434) were in transit. This increased by 35.5% when compared to the corresponding month last year.

According to NSO, the increases in the number of passenger embarkations and landings are the result of new cruise-and-fly packages launched this summer.

Most passengers were aged between 40 and 59 (27,018), followed by the 60-79 age bracket, which totaled 18,764. On a gender basis, female passengers stood at 37,431 while males amounted to 36,901.

Cruise passengers from EU countries stood at 55,676, up by 40.8% when compared to the previous year. Most EU passengers came from Germany (22,358), followed by those

coming from Italy (16,193). Non-EU passengers registered increases as well and amounted to 18,656. This was the result of a substantial increase in the American market, which comprised 53.4% of total Non-EU passengers, NSO says.

Total cruise passengers for the first six months of 2011 amounted to 201,782, down by 1% over the corresponding period in 2010. EU passengers stood at 151,111, while Non-EU passengers numbered 50,671.

Most of the main EU markets registered drops except for Germany and the United Kingdom, which went up by 39.9 and 5.5% respectively. The largest increase among Non-EU countries was recorded for the United States, at 24.7%.

The largest share of passengers, 67,795, were aged between 40 and 59, followed by the 60-79 age group (66,646). Male passengers stood at 97,562 (48.4%cent of the total. In all, there were 113 cruise liner calls, with an average of 1,786 passengers per vessel.