The cruise liner industry reached a new high as the number of passengers between January and November surpassed last year’s total.

According to figures issued yesterday by the National Statistics Office, more than 590,000 passengers came to our shores on cruise liners in the past 11 months, beating 2011’s record of 556,000 passengers.

Some 312 vessels have berthed in the Grand Harbour this year, with each liner carrying an average of 1,900 passengers.

Tourism Minister Mario de Marco said cruise liner statistics do not overlap with official tourism figures since a ‘tourist’ is defined as a person who spends at least one night in a foreign country.

Each cruise liner passenger spends an estimated €60, contributing some €35 million to the local economy this year.

Dr de Marco said that the positive outcomes were the result of major infrastructural investment.

“Vessels are changing. In the past, cruise liners would be around 100 metres long. Nowadays, most of them are at least 300 metres long. If we want to attract more cruise liners to our islands, we need to keep lengthening our quays.”

He also emphasised the need to make Malta an attractive place, mentioning the newly inaugurated lift which helped render Valletta more accessible to Maltese, tourists and cruise liner passengers alike as well as the ferry service linking the capital to the Three Cities.

Valletta Cruise Port CEO John Portelli said that a number of projects are in the pipeline, including a marina, a multi-storey car park and more office facilities.