Official data issued by the Malta National Statistics Office shows that the islands welcomed 765,696 cruise passengers during 2019, including 8160 passengers on cruise liners berthed in the sister island of Gozo. This figure represents the highest number of cruise passenger arrivals on record, an increase of 21% over 2018, and complements yet another record tourism year for the destination. In fact, the islands hit a new milestone with 2.75mln tourist arrivals (excluding cruise passengers).
The most significant increases in cruise passenger arrivals were recorded from the North American, German and British markets. North American visitors (USA & Canada) topped the list and reflect the highest increase.
| Nationality | January-December | +/- |
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2019/2018 |
| North American | 93482 | 99248 | 145353 | 46105 |
| German | 115358 | 96719 | 141564 | 44845 |
| British | 113387 | 105978 | 123088 | 17110 |
| Non-EU other | 78769 | 78274 | 93637 | 15363 |
| Italian | 99927 | 88579 | 86702 | -1877 |
| EU other | 46443 | 42661 | 48667 | 6006 |
| French | 58018 | 50311 | 41209 | -9102 |
| Spanish | 28822 | 29523 | 38672 | 9149 |
| Australian | 16933 | 23948 | 25526 | 1578 |
| Maltese | 11932 | 9363 | 11697 | 2334 |
| Japanese | 7064 | 8135 | 9581 | 1446 |
| TOTAL | 670135 | 632739 | 765696 | 132957 |
Note: The majority of passenger embarking on cruise liners from Malta generally end their trip at the same destination. Embarkations are therefore not included in total traffic figures in order to avoid double counting.
There were 359* cruise liner calls in 2019, with an average 2,133 passengers per vessel, compared to 310* calls and an average 2,041 passengers per vessel in the comparative period of 2018.
*note: Cruise liners calling at both Malta and Gozo during a single voyage are recorded as one cruise liner call.
2020 is expected to be another busy year and Valletta Cruise Port has a lot to look forward to, with projects that will improve and sustain core operations. From a maritime perspective, works will be starting on Quays Pinto 4-5 in November 2020. With this development, Valletta Cruise Port is looking at a more attractive and secure operation, without the need for the spacer barges currently in use on these quays.
Valletta Cruise Port is also in the process of implementing an Environmental Risk Management System (ERMS). The environmental and conservation policy is in compliance with ISO 14001:2015, a baseline requirement for almost all national and international “green port” accreditations.
Additionally, from a local perspective Valletta Cruise Port is enhancing the Valletta Waterfront destination through the embellishment of the waterfront, investing in excess of €2mln to install new outside canopies that will not impact on the visual of the historical vaults and adding other aesthetic touches that should give the area the attractiveness that it merits.
In the meantime, the Maltese Government has recently launched a €50mln investment project for shore-side electricity. This project will be implemented by Infrastructure Malta and is set to reduce more than 90% of air pollution from visiting cruise liners. The Grand Harbour Clean Air Project includes the development of an electricity infrastructure so that cruise liners can turn off their engines and plug into electricity sources from land to offer their services while moored in port. As a result of this project, when turning off their auxiliary engines, cruise liners visiting the city will produce 93% less nitrogen dioxide, 92.6% less particle matter and 99.6% less sulphur dioxide. These substances are among the biggest causes of health problems. The project will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions of cruise liners by 39.6%, a substance which contributes to climate change.
Valletta Cruise Port has become one of the top 14 port of calls in the Mediterranean. Homeporting calls are also on the increase and now comprise circa 31% of its operations in 2019 as compared to 22% in 2018.
Although cruise visitors are not accounted as tourists in the National Statistics Office tourist arrival data reports, these visitors are still an important factor in the tourism success story of the destination. In the words of Mr Carlo Micallef, Deputy CEO and Chief Marketing Officer of the Malta Tourism Authority, “Cruise lines and their passengers often describe Malta's Grand Harbour as one of the most beautiful ports in the world and this is possibly the best introduction to Malta's rich history and heritage that first-time visitors to our Islands can enjoy. The Malta Tourism Authority is very pleased with the results being achieved in the Cruise sector, a sector that is very important to the economy of Valletta especially, and also to a wide range of tourism service providers. In addition to the direct benefits of spend by cruise visitors in our Islands, surveys confirm that a high percentage of those that visit Malta for the first time on a cruise ship, often return to our Islands for a holiday within two or three years of first visit."