Brittany Ferries has reported a 12% increase in passengers on its two Ireland-France routes and its Ireland-Spain link, with customers travelling through the ports of Rosslare Europort and Cork Harbour.
The ferry company said in total, 213,725 passengers travelled on its Irish routes between 2023 and 2024, reflecting a continued demand for sea travel between Ireland, France, and Spain routes. They are Rosslare-Cherbourg/Bilbao and the seasonal Cork-Rosscoff route that resumed this month.
It also recorded a significant increase in the number of sailings, up 27% year-on-year, with 567 crossings across all routes.
Meanwhile, the number of tourism vehicles transported rose by 16% to 80,497. Freight volumes surged by 73% on Ireland-France routes, further strengthening the company’s position as a key player in European transport and tourism.
As alluded to, the Cork-Roscoff route resumed last week, marking the beginning of the season schedule, providing both leisure and freight customers with increased travel options introduced in recent years with mid-week sailings.
Cruiseferry Armorique made its first call into Ringaskiddy, Cork Harbour, on Tuesday, 2 April, followed three days later with the weekend sailings by Pont-Aven, the flagship, Afloat highlights now in its 21st year.
The company’s Ireland-France services continue to see increasing demand, with 151,490 passengers travelling in 2023-2024, a 3% rise compared to the previous year.
On the Ireland-Spain route, passenger numbers grew even more impressively, up by 9%. Freight transport also saw a notable increase on Ireland-France routes, with a 73% rise in freight vehicles, reaching 13,337 units transported. This growth highlights the increasing importance of the direct Ireland-France link for logistics, particularly as businesses continue to navigate post-Brexit supply chains.
Tourism vehicle numbers have also risen in parallel with passenger growth, up 6% on Ireland-France routes and 10% on Ireland-Spain services, where ferry travel to the Iberian Peninsula is an alternative to air travel.
Hugh Bruton, General Manager of Brittany Ferries in Ireland, said “We are delighted to see another year of strong growth in our Irish routes. The 12% increase in passengers demonstrates the growing popularity of our services and reflects the ongoing shift towards comfortable, sustainable, and efficient ferry travel".
"The strong performance of our freight operations also highlights the essential role we play in connecting Ireland with mainland Europe, providing vital trade links post-Brexit."
He added "Looking ahead, we remain committed to further enhancing our services and investing in our fleet to meet the evolving needs of our passengers and freight partners.”
