In November, total cruise passenger traffic in Malta went up by 13.8 per cent, mainly attributable to an increase in passengers in transit (same-day visitors), the National Statistics Office said yesterday.

November 2006

Total cruise passenger traffic in Malta rose by 4,703 people in November, compared to the same month last year, reflecting passenger departures (those travelling in transit and those embarking from Malta) and passenger landings in Malta.

In November 2006, there was a 14.5 per cent increase in passengers travelling in transit, with major increases attributable to passengers from Italy, France and the UK.

The number of embarkations from Malta fell by 98 compared to the corresponding month a year ago.

The number of passenger landings was down by 76, in part reflecting the fall in embarkations.

January-November 2006

Cruise passenger traffic in Malta rose by 29.2 per cent during the first eleven months of 2006.

Passenger departures increased by 28.3 per cent, mainly reflecting an increase in the number of passengers in transit of 81,501. For the most part, this increase was reflected in passengers residing in Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany.

The number of embarkations from Malta rose by 4,606 during the period.

Passenger landings increased by 70.6 per cent during the period under review. The increase in embarkations was partly reflected in higher landings by Maltese passengers, although landings by residents of the United Kingdom also rose significantly.

The number of cruise liners calling in Malta remained unchanged in November 2006, bringing the total for the January to November period up to 350, up by 29 over the same period last year.