There were 188,943 cruise passengers between July and September, 11.9 per cent fewer than in the same period in 2017.

The National Statistics Office said there were 95 cruise liner calls in the period, four fewer than in the previous year. At 80 per cent, transit passengers accounted for the absolute majority of total traffic, reaching 151,204.

A total of 6,819 passengers visited Gozo, while 11,949 passengers spent at least one night on board their berthed liner.

On average, every vessel that berthed in Malta carried 1,989 passengers, 178 less than the previous year.

Passengers from EU states comprised 66.8 per cent of total traffic, the major markets being the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain. The total number of passengers from non-EU countries stood at 62,640, 43.7 per cent of whom came from the United States.

On a gender basis, female passengers made up 52.1 per cent of the total. The largest share of passengers fell within the 40-59 age bracket and were followed by those aged between 60 and 79.

During the first nine months of the year, total cruise passengers stood at 441,547, 8.6 per cent less than in the same period in 2017. Of these, 67 per cent came from EU states.

There were 215 cruise liner calls during the first nine months of 2018, with an average 2,054 passengers per vessel, compared to 248 calls and an average 1,947 passengers per vessel in January-September 2017.