Malta: Goals for Homeporting and Sustainability

Malta aims to become a major cruise homeport in the Mediterranean, Carlo Micallef, CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority, told Cruise Industry News in an exclusive interview.

“Malta is strategically placed at the very middle of the Mediterranean,” he said, highlighting that various regions of Europe can be reached on seven- to 12-day cruises starting in Valletta.

“One can do Eastern and Western Mediterranean itineraries sailing to Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus or Greece. Then there is the option of going up the Adriatic for itineraries to countries like Croatia,” Micallef pointed out.

“We are at the heart of the Mediterranean, which is one of the reasons why I think we are the perfect port for homeporting,” he continued.

“There are also very good flight connections to Malta, including flights to the United States,” Micallef explained, noting that a homeporting vessel could serve as a catalyst for more direct flights between Malta and the eastern side of North America.

The country currently serves as a homeport for small- and medium-sized ships that cater to U.S. and European markets, he continued.

Offering cruises to the British market onboard the Azura, P&O Cruises is one of the cruise lines sailing from Valletta on a seasonal basis.

The Malta Tourism Authority estimates that 160,000 cruise passengers will start a cruise in Valletta in 2024.

“Our main goal is to homeport more mid-sized ships, a little bit upmarket, that carry between 1,000 and 2,000 guests,” Micallef said.

“We have a dedicated cruise terminal on the side of Valletta that can host up to three large cruise ships at once,” he explained, adding that two more ships can be hosted at different berths.

“It’s a natural harbor, deep water, so there are no issues about depth, too,” Micallef added, noting that his team also works to avoid congestion in Valletta during ship visits.

“One of the biggest challenges for us is to coordinate the operations as the ships are becoming bigger and bigger,” he continued.

“So far, we are managing to do that with success. On certain days it may be a bit crowded in Valletta, but we have a very short chain of communication between the stakeholders, the government and its entities, which allows us to manage the flows.”

According to Micallef, the government is currently working with the cruise ports and cruise lines to spread the arrivals throughout weekdays.

Other initiatives include working with Heritage Malta to keep museums and cultural spaces open in the evening, so ships can arrive at different periods of the day.

“Normally, a port of call allows five to six hours onshore. We think that some ships could come in the morning, staying until early afternoon, while others could arrive in the afternoon, remaining docked until late evening,” Micallef explained.