e Business OBSERVER
| April 27, 2017
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NEWS
Malta can become cruise hub of the Med Continued from page 1 Miami, Port Everglades, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Catalina Island and Astoria in the USA and Vancouver, Victoria and Prince Rupert in Canada. “We have been in the tourism business for years and we were one of the pioneers to start working with cruise liners in Malta. We used our knowledge of operating ships to open an office in the main cruise markets and concentrate on home-porting,” Mr Mifsud says. Having been in the industry for so long, Mr Mifsud knows all about the importance of keeping up with trends that have rapidly skewed towards cheaper and higher frequency over the past 20 years. “The tourism industry is changing every day and one needs to evolve with the times. Some of the major changes in the past include the advent of lowcost travel and the use of the internet to make travel bookings. As a result, the cruise industry has undergone significant changes over the years, both in terms of availability and pricing.” He also notes the potential that Malta has as a cruise passenger hub has been recognised and can be even further exploited. “The number of cruise passengers stopping in Malta has been increasing year after year and we feel that with its geographical location, it can become
the main cruise hub of the Mediterranean.” Mr Mifsud says that over the next few years, the company will focus on consolidating its current offices around the world and expanding only in a handful of destinations in the US and Europe. “Setting up SMS in Miami was one of our greatest challenges. But I consider the most rewarding part of my daily routine to be driving to the port of Miami every morning and seeing every day that the vast majority of the cruise liners in port are handled
“I consider the most rewarding part of my daily routine to be driving to the port of Miami every morning and seeing every day that the vast majority of the cruise liners in port are handled by SMS.”
How is the cruise liner business doing in Malta? Total cruise passenger traffic during the first quarter of 2017 increased by more than double over the corresponding period last year, officials statistics show. A total of 85,215 passengers visited Malta in the first three months this year, an increase of 116.4 per cent over the same period last year, according to the National Statistics Office. There were 34 cruise liner calls during the first quarter, 17 more than last year. On average, every vessel that berthed in Malta carried 2,506 passengers, 190 more than last year. Visitors from EU member states comprised 68.1 per cent of total traffic, the major markets being Italy, France and Germany. The total number of passengers from non-EU countries stood at 27,184, of whom 28.1 per cent came from the United States. The largest share of passengers fell within the 60-79 age bracket and were followed by those aged between 40 and 59.
SAMUEL MIFSUD, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SMS INTERNATIONAL SHORE OPERATIONS