Cruise Passengers: Q1/2026
There were 33 cruise liner calls during the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 2 when compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Transit passengers accounted for the absolute majority of total traffic, reaching 64,276 (98.5 per cent). On average, every vessel that berthed in Malta carried 1,977 passengers, 752 less than the previous year (Table 1).
Passengers from EU Member States comprised 46.5 per cent of total traffic. The major markets were Italy, accounting for 17.5 per cent of the total passengers, followed by Spain, with 8.4 per cent. The total number of passengers from non-EU countries stood at 34,892, where the United States accounted for 15.9 per cent of the total passengers and 11.6 per cent came from the United Kingdom (Table 1).
On a gender basis, female passengers made up 53.0 per cent of the total. The largest share of passengers fell within the 60-79 age bracket (35.5 per cent) and were followed by those aged between 40 and 59 years (27.2 per cent) (Table1).
Methodological Notes
| Embarkations | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January–March | 3,172 | 3,673 | 1,085 |
- 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.
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Cruise Passengers: Q1/2026
- Total cruise passenger traffic during the first quarter of 2026 amounted to 65,247, a decrease of 22.9 per cent over the same quarter of the previous year.
- There were 33 cruise liner calls during the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 2 when compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year.
- Italy, the United States and the United Kingdom were the top three markets for the first quarter of 2026.
