Kick-started the cruise line industry.
Two new cruises will be homeported in Malta starting from July 2021, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo has announced.
In a press conference today, he said that Viking Cruises’ ships Viking Venus and Viking Sea will be homeported here and will venture off to another 11 Mediterranean destinations. And get this! Both cruises’ stops will include one to Malta’s sister isle of Gozo.
In addition, these cruises will attract a new market of tourists, mainly Americans who will come to Malta to kick off their cruise around the Med. Americans will be vaccinated against COVID-19 and all operations will be in line with Public Health Authorities.
While this will safeguard and create new niches within the tourism sector, the health of the local population will also be safeguarded. Stringent health protocols are in place on the cruise ships whereby both crew and passengers will be tested with non-invasive saliva PCR tests.
The cruise industry was hit hard due to the pandemic, but such “giant steps forward” will help the sector get back on its feet.