Cruise passengers up 24 per cent

More than 132,000 cruise passengers arrived in Malta in the first six months of the year, a 24.4 per cent increase over the first half of 2005.

Figures released by the National Statistics Office show an increase was also registered last month over June 2005. In fact, 32,617 cruise passengers arrived in Malta last month compared to 31,956 in June 2005.

The greatest number of passengers of the same nationality - almost 7,000 - who arrived in Malta last month came from Spain, followed by Italy (6,282) and the United States (4,464).

The biggest number of passengers who arrived in Malta from the same country in the first six months of the year hailed from Germany (31,667), followed by Italians (24,732), Spaniards (19,621) and French (13,787).

A total of 30 cruise ships sailed in last month, down from 43 in May and the 44 in April.

The NSO said slightly more female cruise passengers arrived last month.

The greatest number of passengers - almost 28,000 - were aged between 60 and 69 years, followed by over 20,000 in the 50 to 59 age group.