Simply 5 years after the pandemic introduced cruise visitors in Malta to a crippling halt, the island nation is celebrating historic passenger ranges.
Officers on the island reported greater than 940,000 passenger actions at Malta’s Valletta Cruise Port in 2024, marking a 4 % enhance from its earlier file that passed off in 2019.
In reality, the Grand Harbour within the nation’s capital metropolis welcomed 357 cruise ship calls, highlighting the island’s rising enchantment within the Mediterranean area.
“We’re extremely happy with the record-breaking outcomes achieved in 2024, reflecting the cruise business’s resilience and swift restoration post-Covid,” stated Stephen Xuereb, COO of International Ports Holding and CEO of Valletta Cruise Port.
“Past the spectacular numbers, we should proceed to work in direction of delivering a clean and genuine Mediterranean expertise for which our islands are globally famend,” he added.
Xuereb highlighted the steps Valletta Cruise Port is taking to reinforce infrastructure to assist its rising cruise business, emphasizing sustainable improvement. In December 2023, the port turned the primary within the Mediterranean to supply shore-to-ship energy.
The system, which reduces emissions by permitting cruise ships to close down their engines and connect with the native energy grid, is able to servicing as much as 5 cruise liners concurrently.
In an effort to spice up capability for cruise ships and enhance the general passenger expertise, the port can be increasing and upgrading the port’s Quay Pinto 4-5.
The €25 million challenge will remodel the present Pinto 4 and 5 quays, positioned close to the Customs Division, right into a single, built-in quay stretching almost 1,000 ft. The enlargement challenge is predicted to be full inside the yr.
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The port has additionally lately requested proposals for the redevelopment of the Previous Energy Home, and has plans to launch a public tender for the Atrium automotive park by mid-February 2025.
“With this improvement and our standing as the primary Mediterranean port to supply onshore energy provide, we’re well-positioned to make sure sustainable progress on this sector,” stated Xuereb. “2025 is shaping as much as be an thrilling yr.”
Throughout a current go to to the port, Malta’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg expressed his enthusiasm over the record-breaking feat and referred to as for island stakeholders to work collectively to additional improve tourism.
“We would like cruise passengers to get pleasure from their expertise and put our nation of their bucket record for an extended vacation subsequent time spherical,” stated Borg. “That is why we’re collaborating with different ministries to make it possible for as a rustic, we intensify our efforts for a better-quality tourism product in coming years.”
Cruise Strains Boosting Island Economic system
The cruise visitors to Malta was additionally revealed to be a significant contributor to the island’s financial system. The federal government stated it receives €88 million yearly – €38 million in passenger spending and €50 million coming from cruise traces.
Malta’s Valletta port will function homeport to a lot of main cruise traces in 2025, together with P&O Cruises’ 3,100-passenger Azura, arriving in March; Explora Journey’s 922-guest Explora I and MSC Cruises’ 6,762-passenger MSC World Europa, arriving in April; and the MSC Magnifica, carrying as much as 3,013 visitors, arriving in Might.
MSC Cruises can be at the moment crusing to the island from different ports, with MSC World Europa first calling on January 8, 2025, throughout a 7-night Mediterranean voyage from Sicily.
Different cruise traces anticipated to dock in Malta this yr embody Viking Oceans, Holland American Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Seabourn, Regent Seven Seas, Cunard, Princess Cruises, and Oceania Cruises, simply to call just a few.
