Big fall in ferry passenger numbers
15/12/2005 - 14:03:09The number of people using ferries for visits to Britain is continuing to fall despite the increase in overseas holidays, it emerged today.
There were 20,000 less passengers on the ferries between July and September compared to the same period last year, a drop of 14%.
According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the number of ferry passengers to Britain has dropped from 156,000 in July-to-September 2000 to 118,000 in the same period this year.
Irish Ferries, which had argued that declining passenger numbers were putting its future at risk, settled its bitter dispute with unions in an agreement yesterday.
The company will be replacing its existing staff with cheaper foreign workers but will have to almost double their pay to meet the national minimum wage requirements.
According to the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) travel statistics, the number of Irish visits abroad increased by 12% to 1.9 million in the third quarter.
But while the number travelling on ferries to Britain fell by 14%, the number travelling by air increased by 10%.
The number of visits to Ireland by tourists and business people increased by 6% to 2.3 million.
This included a 4% increase in visitors from Britain, a 13% increase from the rest of Europe and a 5% increase in visitors from the US and Canada.
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