Cruise passenger traffic up 24 per cent

Total cruise passenger traffic last month amounted to 80,176, an increase of 10,034 passengers or 14.3 per cent over the same month last year, the National Statistics Office said yesterday.

Embarkations from and landings in Malta last month stood at 1,615 and 1,599 persons respectively.

During the first eight months this year, total cruise passenger traffic amounted to 303,232, an increase of 24.2 per cent over the same period last year.

Same-day visitors from EU countries accounted for 83.3 per cent of total traffic, the main markets being Italy, Spain, and Germany. The American market remained substantial, representing more than half of the non-EU incoming passengers.

The growth was underpinned by increases in the Spanish and Italian markets.