THE number of British tourists travelling by ferry is up — with Ireland being one of the top destinations.
Almost five million passengers were ferried across the Irish Sea in 2014, up 1.4 per cent on the previous 12 months.
The figures, released by Discover Ferries, show growth in the sea travel sector, particularly to the likes of Ireland and France, locations that are easily accessible to British tourists.
The “central corridor” seems to be taking the bulk of traffic to Ireland, with passengers choosing the Holyhead and Liverpool routes to Dublin over alternatives.
Journeys on this route rose by an impressive 2.9 per cent on 2013, with 2.93million passengers travelling to the ports at either Liverpool or Holyhead.
Dublin is not the only Irish port to see a rise in passenger numbers — the North of Ireland also proved to be a popular location for British tourists to visit.
“Ferry markets like Holland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland are all showing strong passenger growth,” said Discover Ferries director Bill Gibbons.
But despite Ireland’s growing popularity with the British, it seems visitors are more likely to opt for the sunnier French climate.
France once again took the top spot on the list, with 15.9million people making their way over via ferry.
“Consumers are now very savvy about getting the best value and minimising hassle when they travel. They realise that taking your car by ferry is a smart way to achieving a new sense of travelling freedom, with no baggage charges,” said Mr Gibbons.
Stena Line and Irish Ferries both saw rises in the number of passengers they carried across the Irish Sea last year.
Irish Ferries carried just over 1.5million people to and fro between Britain and Ireland in the year ending November 2014.
Meanwhile, a representative from Stena Line said: “There is real confidence that the upward trend in the popularity in ferry travel between Britain and Ireland will continue in 2015.”
Thinking of heading back to Ireland for St Patrick’s Day? It is one of the busiest times of the year for Irish tourism, so you’ll need to book early. We have look at how air and sea routes compare
London to Dublin
Ryanair
Cost: £66 to £100
Length of journey: approximately one hour in the air
Baggage allowance: one standard 10kg cabin bag; extras fees to check in bags
Irish Ferries
Cost: £88 including trains — ‘Rail to Sail’ price
Length of journey: 7.5 to 10.5 hours, including on-land transport
Baggage allowance: As much as a passenger can comfortably carry
Aer Lingus
Cost: £55 to £83
Length of journey: approximately one hour in the air
Baggage allowance: one standard 10kg cabin bag, extras fees to check in bags
Stena Line
Cost: £83 including trains — ‘Rail and Sail’ price
Length of journey: 7 hours 55 minutes to 10 hours
Baggage allowance: As much as a passenger can comfortably carry
