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The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has announced that it will be phasing out the manufacturing of paper charts, with the aim to completely end production by late 2026.

Plans to withdraw the UKHO’s portfolio of ADMIRALTY Standard Nautical Charts (SNCs) and Thematic Charts are in response to more marine, naval and leisure users primarily using digital products and services for navigation, the office says.

It also emphasises that the ADMIRALTY Maritime Data Solutions digital navigation portfolio has the added benefits of being updated in near real-time and therefore greatly enhancing safety of life at sea (SOLAS).

The decision comes as the sale of paper charts has fallen from making up 80% of sales in 2018 to just 16% in 2021, the UKHO says.

It’s also been confirmed that in parallel with the process to withdraw the paper charts, the UKHO will be developing “viable, digital alternatives” for users who are still currently relying on using paper chart products.

The UKHO says it will be working closely with the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) and other stakeholders to ensure that the new maps are fit for recreational navigation purposes.

The RYA says it believes the UKHO has a responsibility to provide support to recreational boaters through the provision of hydrographic information, products and services in a range of formats and media that is suitable for and easily usable by all recreational craft.

RYA director of training and qualifications Richard Falk said: “The RYA understand that the UKHO’s decision to end the production of paper charts may result in a feeling of significant change for some recreational boaters.

“However, the UKHO have given assurance that with the introduction of the digital navigation portfolio there will not be a compromise on navigational functionality, but instead an increase in data accuracy and ultimately, safety at sea.
 
“With careful management, we are hopeful that the new digital charts will improve navigation for recreational boaters and, as a key stakeholder, look forward to working with the UKHO to support them on this exciting new chapter for navigation.

"It is important to highlight for those who wish to continue navigating using paper charts and more traditional navigational techniques, there are other providers of paper charts within the market.

“The RYA will continue to teach both traditional and electronic navigational techniques through its range of courses, although over time it is right to expect the weighting of emphasis to shift towards more digitally based techniques.”

Further information and answers to FAQs about the change to digital charts can be found on the ADMIRALTY website.

Published in Cruising
Tagged under
Waterways Ireland has released revised navigation guides to the inland waterways; the Shannon Erne Waterway and the Erne System as well as two free guides; the What's On Guide 2011 and Publications Catalogue.

The Shannon-Erne Waterways Charts have been updated to take account of the upgrade works that have taken place in recent years along the navigation. The revision of the navigation guides for Lough Erne have been facilitated by the survey work undertaken recently on the lakes by Waterways Ireland in joint partnership with OSNI. Staff from Operations and the Inspectorate have also been closely involved in the revisions. The price of the new guides remains unchanged.

waterwayspublications

The new inland waterways publications

The Whats On 2011 is a free guide to all the events taking place along the waterway corridors in 2011. The Publications Catalogue (free) highlights the publications Waterways Ireland has for sale and for free with Navigation, History and Activity sections covering a wide range of interests. A photographic book for Lough Erne has just been published and is also for sale through Waterways Ireland.
All the publications are available from the Waterways Ireland webshop www.shopwaterwaysireland.org or from retailers, hospitality outlets and Tourist Information Centres along the navigations.

Published in Inland Waterways

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

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.

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

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).

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.

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