Cruise passenger numbers decline in Q2 2025, despite slight increase in EU arrivals

Malta’s cruise industry witnessed a dip in performance during the second quarter of 2025, with total passenger traffic declining by 6.4 per cent when compared to the same period last year, according to data released by the National Statistics Office.

Between April and June 2025, the number of cruise passengers stood at 256,326 – down from 273,900 during the same quarter in 2024. This decline also came with a slight drop in cruise liner calls, from 128 last year to 123 in Q2 2025. On average, each vessel carried 2,084 passengers, 56 fewer than the previous year.

Transit passengers made up the majority of arrivals, reaching 210,567 or 82.1 per cent of the total. Overnight stays also saw a noticeable increase, rising to 19,463 passengers from 10,302 last year.

EU vs non-EU markets

Passengers from EU Member States accounted for 39.3 per cent of total traffic in Q2, with Italy (11.5 per cent) and Germany (7.7 per cent) representing the largest EU source markets. Italy saw a modest increase to 29,595 passengers, while German tourist arrivals fell to 19,774.

Non-EU travellers remained the majority, totalling 155,476 passengers. Of these, 37 per cent came from the United Kingdom and 33.1 per cent from the United States. However, arrivals from both countries fell sharply – UK numbers declined by over 5,500, and US numbers dropped by nearly 18,000 compared to Q2 2024.

Women continued to outnumber men among cruise tourists, making up 54.7 per cent of all arrivals in Q2. The dominant age group was 60-79 years, accounting for 41.4 per cent of total passengers, followed by those aged 40-59 years (28.3 per cent).

Half-year totals

Between January and June 2025, Malta welcomed 340,923 cruise passengers, down from 350,462 during the same period in 2024. However, the number of cruise liner calls rose slightly from 147 to 154, although average passengers per vessel decreased from 2,384 to 2,214.

Of the total arrivals in H1 2025, 43.6 per cent were EU nationals. Spain showed notable growth, with passenger numbers rising to 24,166, while other major markets such as Germany and Italy saw declines.

Non-EU passengers fell by more than 13,000, with significant drops from the US (down 12,410) and UK (down 5,084).