Malta welcomed 256,369 cruise passengers during the second quarter of 2026, with visitor numbers remaining virtually unchanged from the same period last year.New figures show that 126 cruise liners called at Maltese ports between April and June, three more than during the second quarter of 2025, signalling continued strong demand despite passenger numbers remaining stable.The United Kingdom, the United States and Italy were the island’s three biggest cruise markets during the quarter.Looking at the first half of 2026 as a whole, Malta received 321,616 cruise passengers, representing a 5.7% decrease compared to the same period in 2025.However, the number of cruise ship visits continued to rise, with 159 cruise liner calls recorded during the first six months of the year, five more than the corresponding period last year.The latest figures suggest that while slightly fewer passengers visited Malta overall during the first half of 2026, the island continues to attract a steady stream of cruise traffic, with more ships choosing to include Malta on their Mediterranean itineraries.What do you make of this amount?•