There were 21 cruise liner calls during the first quarter of 2023, a decrease of 2 when compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Transit passengers accounted for the absolute majority of total traffic, reaching 68,562. On average, every vessel that berthed in Malta carried 3,428 passengers, 2,332 more than the previous year (Table 1).
Passengers from EU Member States comprised 72.6 per cent of total traffic. The major markets were Italy, accounting for 24.1 per cent of the total passengers, followed by Germany, with 18.4 per cent. The total number of passengers from non-EU countries stood at 19,744, of whom 32.1 per cent came from the United Kingdom and 13.9 per cent came from the United States (Table 1).
On a gender basis, female passengers made up 53.2 per cent of the total. The largest share of passengers fell within the 40-59 age bracket (34.1 per cent) and were followed by those aged between 60 and 79 years (22.5 per cent) (Table1).
Chart 1. Total cruise passenger traffic
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Additional Tables and Charts
Methodological Notes
| Embarkations | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January-March | 0 | 1,735 | 3,701 |
- Cruise passenger traffic: comprises transit passengers and passengers who land in Malta.
- Embarkations: comprise all cruise passengers who are either Maltese or who are foreigners who arrive in Malta by other means of transport.
- Transit passengers: comprise all cruise passengers who arrive in and leave Malta on the same cruise ship.
- Landed passengers: comprise all cruise passengers who arrive in Malta on a cruise ship and leave by other means of transport, or alternatively, stay in Malta.
- Passengers staying overnight: comprise passengers who spend at least one night in the Maltese Islands, either onboard the cruise ship or on land.
- Average number of passengers per vessel: computed by dividing total cruise passenger traffic by the number of cruise liner calls.
- Total cruise passenger traffic during the first quarter of 2023 amounted to 71,986.
- There were 21 cruise liner calls during the first quarter of 2023, a decrease of 2 when compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year.
- Italy and Germany were the top two markets for the first quarter of 2023.
- Female passengers amounted to 38,304 and made up 53.2 per cent of the total traffic.
- The largest share of passengers, or 34.1 per cent, fell within the 40 to 59 age bracket.
