Decline in cruise passengers over first quarter of 2011

Thirteen cruise liners visited Malta in the first quarter, carrying 22,648 passengers on board, a decline of 3.3 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year.

Transit passengers accounted for the vast majority of total traffic, amounting to 22,494 visitors. Of these, there were 1,886 passengers who spent at least one night on board their berthed cruise liner.

Visitors from EU Member States accounted for 71 per cent of total traffic, with the major markets comprising Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy. The total number of passengers from Non-EU countries stood at 6,563, with 24 per cent coming from the United States.

Female passengers amounted to 11,987, or 53 per cent of the total. The largest segment of cruise passengers were aged between 60 and 79, and totalled 10,780. These were followed by the 40-59 bracket, with 5,851 passengers.

There were 13 cruise liner calls during the first three months this year, with an average of 1,742 passengers per vessel.