Cruise tourism growth 'set to continue'

Provisional figures for the number of cruise liner passengers last year look very positive and the growth trend is set to continue, Competitiveness and Communications Minister Censu Galea said.

He pointed out that more than 320,000 passengers, the majority of them Italian, German and Spanish, called at Grand Harbour on 327 liner visits last year.

Together with Viset, the operators of the cruise liner terminal, Mr Galea's ministry is in talks with the Spanish company that operates the helicopter service between Malta and Gozo on the possibility of offering a helicopter service from within the terminal area.

Speaking during a tour of the passenger terminal at Pinto Wharf on Wednesday, the minister referred to the Valletta Waterfront project as a perfect example of how Malta can take advantage of its attractions and experiences and turn them into new, profitable opportunities.

"The government, through the Malta Maritime Authority, had identified the potential of this relatively new niche in tourism and these new facilities are now the product of a multi-million project created to offer a completely new level of service to cruise liners, ferries and their respective passengers," he said.

He commended Viset's efforts to promote the Maltese islands as a home port.

The minister also toured the new site of the new Virtù Ferries Jumbo Catamaran, which will start operating from Malta to Sicily soon.