NEWS | Wednesday, 26 March 2008

VISET target a 3.3 percent increase over last year

Slump registered in cruise liner passengers

David Darmanin

Issuing the findings of a month-by-month comparative study on cruise liner passengers reaching Maltese shores, the National Statistics Office (NSO) Monday revealed that in February this year cruise passenger traffic in Malta decreased by 2,464 travellers, amounting to a slump of 18.9 percent over the same month in 2007.
But Chris Paris, General Manager at the consortium owning the Valletta Waterfront operation VISET, told Business Today that this statistic is “not worrying.”
“We knew about the situation and it is true we were on the low side throughout January and February but we will be making up for this loss in the coming months,” he said.
According to the NSO, it was specifically February that registered a slowdown as with January and February combined, the study revealed, “total cruise passenger traffic amounted to 4,657, an increase of 4.9 percent when compared to the same period of 2007.”
“The bulk of vessels normally come in between March and mid-November, whereas this year our season will be carrying on until December,” Paris said. “We’re not worried about the findings as by the end of the year we are expecting an increase in passengers – targeting the 500,000 passenger mark.” Over 2007, cruise passenger traffic amount to around 484,000.
Paris explained that the reason for dwindling passengers over the month of February was only due to redeployment of cruise liners.
“The cruise liner market in the Mediterranean is changing,” he said. “The liner Brilliance of the Seas of Caribbean Cruises, will be coming in later this year. Aida Cruises have also scheduled their winter Mediterranean Cruise for later on this year. We were aware of this,” he concluded.