Leadership

Ferry passenger numbers up 2pc in third quarter

07.12.2009
Ferry passenger numbers through all of Ireland’s ports rose by 2pc to 1,860,194 passengers during the third quarter of 2009, compared to the same period in 2008, according to new figures from the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO).

The IMDO said the rise in third-quarter passenger volumes is noteworthy as it is traditionally the busiest period of the year with over 37pc of all passengers being carried between July and September.

The number of cars carried also rose during the same period by 2pc.

The cross-channel routes to the UK saw an increase in passenger traffic by 2pc, with the total number of passengers travelling up by 30,000 compared to the same period in 2008. Services to and from the UK account for 90pc of the total passenger market.

On the continental routes, ferry passenger traffic to France grew by a further 8pc in the third quarter of 2009.

However, looking across the first nine months of 2009, the volume of ferry passengers declined by 1pc, the IMDO said.

This compares to an overall backdrop of a 12pc decline in the number of UK tourists to Ireland, which is largely attributed to the continued weakness of sterling to euro exchange rate but also weaker consumer demand in both the UK and Ireland.

The IMDO said it partially attributed the resilient performance of the passenger ferry sector to a combination of increased marketing and pricing strategies by the larger operators coupled with increases in vessel capacity and frequency on the main routes.

“A reduction in the number of airline services to regional airports in the UK could also have had a positive impact on ferry volumes,” the organisation said.

However, despite a resilient third-quarter performance, overall market conditions remain “demanding” for the ferry passenger sector with increased fuel costs and ongoing volatility in the sterling to euro exchange rate, the IMDO noted.