MaltaMedia.com

The National Statistics Office has reported that total cruise passenger traffic for the month of October was 58,744, up by 3.8 per cent over the same month last year.

Cruise passengers who were in transit amounted to 55,558 whereas those landing in Malta totalled 1,584. Passengers fell mostly in the 60-79 age bracket and stood at 24,401 followed by those in the 40-59 age group. Female passengers surpassed males by 2,058 and totalled 30,401. On average there were 1,399 cruise passengers per vessel.

Of total passengers, 45,201 came from EU countries, mainly from Italy and France, whereas those from Non-EU countries amounted to 13,543. A substantial decrease in the American market was the cause of a 3.4 per cent drop registered in the Non-EU market. Maltese cruise passengers stood at 574 which is 75.6 per cent less than 2009.

Total cruise passengers from January to October numbered 418,561, up by 13.9 per cent when compared with last year. This increase was mainly devoted to a substantial increase in the Eu-market, especially Italy and France. Non-EU passengers amounted to 82,391 which is 9.8 per cent less from 2009. Total cruise liner calls during this ten-month period stood at 232.

Like the past two years, passengers were mostly aged between 40 and 59 years (137,538). These were followed by the 60 to 79 age group (125,019). On a gender basis, male passengers made up 48.9 per cent of the total.