Cruise passenger numbers are expected to drop by 10 per cent this year after two liners withdrew southern Mediterranean ports from their itinerary.
But Viset Malta financial controller Stephen Xuereb told The Sunday Times that the industry was expected to recover since bookings for 2010 were showing signs of matching last year's record figures. Over 500,000 cruise passengers landed in 2008, a 14 per cent increase over 2007.
"We expect 2010 to reach last year's figures," Mr Xuereb said, adding that despite the drop, 2009 is still considered a good year. The cause of this year's "predicted" drop has mainly been attributed to the withdrawal of southern Mediterranean ports from the itineraries of Spanish lines Pulmantur and Ibero Jet when fuel prices rocketed.
The two lines, which will be concentrating their cruises around the Balearic Islands this year, called 61 times at Grand Harbour in 2008.
He said this year will also see some lines - including giant liners MSC and Costa - starting their summer cruises later than usual. But the silver lining is that the spanking new 333-metre MSC Splendida will be making some 20 calls this year. The Splendida will be the biggest cruise liner to ever enter Grand Harbour, following Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas.
Mr Xuereb said he was confident the port and ancillary services, like taxis, could cope with the large number of passengers brought by the bigger cruise liners. "There was a time when we had seven ships in port. We are capable of handling it," he said.
Asked whether the international recession would lead to a drop in cruise passengers, Mr Xuereb said the general feeling in the industry was that the crisis would actually attract new customers.
"Despite the recession, people will still want to go on holiday and the crisis should attract new customers because it's a package holiday and they know exactly how much they are going to spend beforehand," he said.
"I do not think that the recession will have such a great impact on the local cruise industry," he added.