Fourth quarter sees 63% surge in cruise passenger traffic

During the final quarter of the last year, the total cruise passenger traffic soared to an impressive 169,036.

The 63% surge compared to the same quarter in the previous year has been revealed in a report by the National Statistics Office.

82 cruise liner calls were recorded between October and December, 21 calls more than in the corresponding quarter of 2022.

In 2023, Malta welcomed 814,603 cruise passengers in 309 cruise liner calls, with 56.7% of the passengers hailing from EU member states.

While cruises make a significant contribution to Malta’s tourism sector, environmental groups have been calling for restrictions.

A step towards lower emissions from berthed ships has been made with the new shore-to-ship electricity project.

The initiative allows ships to turn off their engines and aims to reduce air pollution from cruise ships in Grand Harbour by 90%.