#FerryFigures – According to the 14th edition of the Irish Maritime Transport Economist report launched today, there was a decline of 2.6% in ferry passenger numbers in 2016.

The figure relates to those travelling between the island of Ireland, Britain and continental Europe that amounted to 4.3 million passengers.

The report on Ireland’s maritime industry including freight, produced by the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) also revealed that the largest decline in the ferry passenger traffic was recorded between the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain. In this operating region the decline in passenger numbers of 5% to 2.2 million was recorded last year.

This decline in sea passenger traffic is in contract to strong growth in air passenger traffic.

Car volumes to and from the island of Ireland also decreased by 1% in 2016, to 1.28 million.

A full copy of the report can be downloaded from this link.