Malta's Grand Harbour has become one of the most important ports in Europe for the cruise industry, becoming the seventh most visited in Europe in 2005.
According to a study published in Brussels by the European Cruise Council, which represents the leading cruise companies operating in Europe, Malta has managed to build modern cruise line facilities that are attracting a large segment of Europe's cruise passengers. It hosted more than 320,000 passengers in 2005.
The study shows that Naples is the most visited port of call in Europe, attracting 830,000 passengers in the same year. It is followed by Livorno, in Italy, Nice and Marseille in France, Limassol in Cyprus and Palermo in Sicily.
According to the study, at the end of 2005 there were 36 cruise lines domiciled in Europe which operated a fleet of 100 cruise ships with a capacity of almost 86,000 lower berths. Nearly 3.3 million European residents booked cruises, representing 23 per cent of all cruise passengers worldwide.
Top executives of the major cruise line companies were hosted at the European Parliament by Maltese MEP Simon Busuttil during a conference of the European Cruise Council in Brussels.
Welcoming them, Dr Busuttil said the industry had made remarkable strides in recent years and has contributed to the creation of 190,000 jobs in Europe alone.
It was a major industry that needed to be taken seriously by European policy-makers but some EU initiatives might still be working against its interests, he pointed out.
"I have in mind, in particular, EU laws on VAT and excise duty that do not sufficiently cater for your industry and which may, at times, serve as an obstacle, rather than as a promoter, of growth. Clearly, these difficulties must be addressed," he told the executives.
Dr Busuttil said the EU needed to work steadily so that the European cruise industry could assert its importance with policy-makers and its concerns taken into account.
Pier Luigi Foschi, chairman of the European Cruise Council and chairman and chief executive officer of Costa Crociere SpA, said cruise companies, shipbuilding yards and cruise passengers now account for €8.3 billion of direct expenditure in Europe. This was expected to increase to €12.7 billion by 2010.
The number of jobs in the industry could grow by more than 50,000 to top a quarter of a million by 2010, he said