Displaying items by tag: Belfast services record

Q: Give examples of marine leisure tourism?

Sports: sailing, surfing, diving and fishing Heritage: Unesco coastal villages, archaeological sites of interest, biospheres and historical points of interest Arts: coastal museums, art galleries, museums, wrecks Education: Eco-tourism, field courses, NGOs. Food: Seafood restaurants, Seafood festivals

2nd February 2018

Services on Stena's Belfast Routes Deliver Record Trade in 2017

Belfast routes to Scotland and England are served by seven Stena ships, among them above a freight ferry astern of Stena Lagan which operates to Liverpool (Birkenhead) on Merseyside.

#FerryNews- Services on Stena Line's Belfast-Scotland and England routes in 2017 marked another record trading year for freight and passenger operations.

Freight volumes on its Belfast to Cairnryan, Liverpool and Heysham routes exceeded a record 514 000 units, which represents a 3% year on year increase.

Car volumes topped 360 000, a 2.5% year on year increase with over 1.5m passengers accounting for a similar 2.5% annual increase. Coach traffic delivered the biggest increase at 10.5% underscoring Belfast’s ongoing tourist boom.

Belfast services have been growing significantly over the last five years with a 15% growth in car volumes, a 13% rise in passenger numbers and a 19% increase in freight traffic. A programme of ongoing investment in its ports and ships has been a key factor in this success and today Belfast represents Stena Line’s largest operational hub with seven ships providing up to 22 daily crossing options.

Paul Grant, Stena Line’s Trade Director (Irish Sea North) said: “Whilst Stena Line has delivered a record performance in 2017, we will continue to focus on providing even higher levels of customer service in 2018 which is why we will be investing a further £500k in the upgrade of our onboard passenger facilities this spring.

Paul Grant added: “Consistent year on year growth of our Belfast-based services also positions us at the forefront of Stena Line’s future European investment plans which is why the Irish Sea has been able to attract a number of new build ships to be deployed in the region in 2019/20. While we continue to invest we will also lobby hard for road improvement upgrades, especially the dualling of the A75 in Scotland, to help improve overall journey times for the key Northern Ireland road haulage and tourism sectors.”

The ferry operator is Belfast Harbour’s largest logistics customer and a key contributor to its success in recent years. Joe O’Neil, CEO Belfast Harbour commented: “Belfast Harbour’s on-going success is supported by another record year for Stena Line. We have been partners for more than 20 years and have seen their business here grow significantly during that time. 2017 is no different with increases in passengers, freight, cars and coaches. This is down to their vision and hard work as well as adapting to the market and we look forward to continuing to support them and the growth of their business in the coming years.”

In addition to the Belfast services, Stena Line operate Dublin to Holyhead, Rosslare to Fishguard routes and a direct continental service on the Ireland-France link between Rosslare and Cherbourg

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Marine Leisure & Aquatic Tourism

Domestic coastal tourism expenditure was approximately €698 million in 2018, while domestic marine tourism generated €381 million.

Activities such as walking/ running along the coast, swimming and beach visitations are among the most popular activities for domestic visitors on both day and overnight trips.

While participation rates in pursuits such as bird and wildlife watching in coastal areas and visiting nature reserves, etc. in coastal areas were lower, these activities did see the highest frequency of both day and overnight trips for those active in these activities.

According to the National University of Galway (NUIG) research the average expenditure per coastal day trip in 2018 was calculated at €95. The equivalent for coastal overnight trips was €310. The estimated water-based activity expenditure per person per trip across the sample was €56 rising to €73 for the subsample that actually undertake waterbased activities on their coastal visits. The results also indicate that domestic tourists undertake the majority of their marine activities on the West and South coasts of Ireland and that there are notable differences in participation rates across age groupings, social classes and by family makeup.

A domestic tourist is defined in this report as a person who spends at least one night away from home on their trip. Total expenditure by domestic tourists in coastal areas was estimated to be €698 million in 2018, which represents 35% of the total expenditure by domestic tourists (using the broader Fáilte Ireland measure for domestic tourists that includes business trips equating to 10.92 million in total trips and €2,006 million in total revenue).

The marine-related activity expenditure, or what might truly be referred to as domestic marine tourism, is estimated to generate revenue of €381 million with €172 million being spent on water-based activities. Marine tourism makes up an estimated 19% of total domestic tourism expenditure.

Marine Leisure Tourism - FAQ

What is marine leisure tourism?

Coastal tourism refers to land-based and water-based tourism activities taking place on the coast for which the proximity to the sea is a condition including also their respective services. Coastal and Marine Tourism & Leisure are seen as one of the Blue Economy (BE) sectors that can help unlock the potential of multi-use of space at sea by engaging with Blue Growth (BG) sectors such as Aquaculture and Marine Renewable Energy among others.

Give examples of marine leisure tourism?

Sports: sailing, surfing, diving and fishing Heritage: Unesco coastal villages, archaeological sites of interest, biospheres and historical points of interest Arts: coastal museums, art galleries, museums, wrecks Education: Eco-tourism, field courses, NGOs. Food: Seafood restaurants, Seafood festivals

What marine leisure tourism studies have been conducted in Ireland?

NUI Galway carried out a survey of domestic residents in Ireland in 2019 as part of a survey entitled "Valuing and understanding the dynamics of Ireland's Ocean Economy". The purpose of the household survey was to profile the domestic market for single-day trips (leisure) and overnight trips (tourism) for coastal and marine-related activities in Ireland. The results of the survey are also used to estimate what proportion of an Irish resident's total domestic tourism expenditure is in coastal areas (coastal tourism) and what proportion is spent on undertaking marine-related activities (marine tourism).

What were the results of the NUI marine leisure tourism study?

The NUI results highlight the important contribution that Ireland's marine and coastal resources make to the leisure experiences of the general population and the importance of the domestic tourism market to local coastal economies. The analysis indicates that domestic coastal tourism expenditure was approximately €698 million in 2018, while domestic marine tourism generated €381 million. Activities such as walking/ running along the coast, swimming and beach visitations are among the most popular activities for domestic visitors on both day and overnight trips. While participation rates in pursuits such as bird and wildlife watching in coastal areas and visiting nature reserves, etc. in coastal areas were lower, these activities did see the highest frequency of both day and overnight trips for those active in these activities. Satisfaction with the available marine-related leisure facilities was also found to be very high across all activities.