Cruise passengers drop by 18.9% over 2010 first quarter

The NSO said on Monday that all European markets registered drops during this period, with Italy recording the highest decrease of 11,953 cruise passengers.

The number of non-EU visitors also dropped by 5.6% and stood at 32,015. All main markets registered decreases in cruise passengers, with the highest one being the United States, or 3,527 less than the previous year.

Most passengers (16.2%) fell within the 60-79 age-group and were followed by the 40-59 age group which stood at 40,777. Female cruise passengers counted 66,789 with a share of 52.4% of the total. There were 76 cruise liner calls for this period, 10 less when compared with the previous year.

During May alone however, total cruise passengers increased by 7.2% over 2010 figures. Cruise passengers increased by 59,037, an increase of 7.2% over 2010’s corresponding month.

The number of cruise passengers who simply passed through Malta stood at 42,546 (72.1%), a drop of 8,401 passengers over 2010’s 50,947 passengers. Those who however landed in Malta during May numbered 8,181, an increase of 6,177 over 2010’s 2,004 passengers.

The figures, published by the National Statistics office on Monday, also showed how the majority of passengers, 36.1%, were between 60 and 79 years of age, followed by the 40-59 age-group (20,482).

On a gender basis, there were fewer male passengers (28,498) than females (30,539).

During May, the NSO also said that there were 33 cruise liner arrivals with an average 1,789 persons per vessel. Average cruise liner arrivals during May 2011 increased over May 2010, while average cruise liner arrivals during January-May during 2011 (1,677 passengers) decreased compared to the same period 2010 (1,828 passengers).

Cruise passengers from EU countries amounted to 50,784, 6,634 more than last year.

Most EU passengers, 48.7%, came from Germany, which figure more than doubled when compared to the corresponding month last year.

These were followed by cruise passengers coming from Italy and France, at 10,888 and 5,396 respectively. Non-EU passengers numbered 8,253 of which 35.2% were from the United States.

All non-EU markets recorded decreases in cruise passengers, when compared to 2010 levels.