Cruise passenger traffic in Malta in March accounted for 15,441 persons, an increase of 7,381 passengers over March last year, the National Statistics Office reported yesterday. Embarkations from and landings in Malta during this month were practically nil.

Total cruise passenger traffic in Malta between January and March amounted to 19,879, an increase of 1.9 per cent over the same period last year. Same-day visitors from EU countries accounted for 91 per cent of total traffic, the main markets being Germany, Italy and Spain.

On a gender basis, total traffic was almost on a par, although women passengers exceeded men by 1.5 per cent. The largest proportion of passengers – 38.3 per cent – comprised persons aged between 60 and 79 years, followed by those in the 40–59 age bracket who accounted for 34.0 per cent of the total.

Cruise liner calls in Malta increased by two in March 2007, bringing the total for the January-March period to 15 compared to 19 in 2006.