Business surges at Stena Line

FERRY TRAVEL:BUSINESS AT ferry companies dramatically increased last year as ash and snow closed airports and disrupted flights all over Europe.

Stena Line, which carries over two million passengers on its Irish Sea routes each year, ferried an additional 60,000 passengers on its Irish Sea crossings as a result of the ash cloud crisis alone.

Stena hopes the increase isn’t temporary and points to indicators which suggest a shift in some people’s thinking when it comes to making travel plans.

In May and June after the ash cloud lifted, Stena experienced a surge in bookings and an estimated 50,000 additional passengers travelled during the summer months.

Stena had a further boost to passenger numbers over Christmas when 7,500 people booked crossings with the company as a result of flights being delayed or cancelled.

“There is no doubt that we have been one of the few benefactors from the air travel disruptions caused by the ash cloud and the winter weather during 2010,” said Stena Line area director Irish Sea Michael McGrath.

“Thousands of people have travelled with us who would not have done so or have not done so for many years.”

He said it had provided the company with “an excellent platform to show how much ferry travel has changed over the years” and claimed that feedback was “overwhelmingly positive”.

He said that “uncertainty surrounding air travel” had caused a shift in holiday planning “as more families seek the relative certainty provided by ferry travel compared to flying”.