Make our port as attractive as possible, try to offer the best berthing and ship chandelling services and provide a unique retail experience next to the arrival terminal so that the exchequer can maximise opportunities from this sector. The challenges the sector is facing are simple ones. Of course, this can only be professionally assessed if one were to analyse the expenditure habits of the day visitors that arrive on these luxury ships. It is still a mystery as to whether the whole activity is profitable (given the heavy environmental cost) and by how much. What is still a mystery is why the NSO has never taken the trouble to measure their economic contribution while monitoring the numbers arriving, by noting their spending patterns plus the contribution to berthing fees, local transport, shipping agent commissions, etc. In the past decade, we have seen increasing numbers of cruise liner visitors landing on our shores. It goes without saying that this scenario is just the starting point of this nascent industry which has seen heavy investment on the part of both the government and the private sector. This is a view, a particular one indeed, which is envied by many and enjoyed by few. Pause for a minute and hold your breath so you can enjoy the entry of a cruise liner majestically manoeuvring its way into the harbour. Certainly, there are only a few ports in the Mediterranean that can match its splendour. The better ones show a rising sun which illuminates the buildings next to the 16 th-century fortifications, making the sea shine bright and, like a mirror, reflect majestically the beauty and grandeur of the bastions. It is not uncommon to read in brochures about the idyllic setting of our Grand Harbour (see picture).
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