Volume of goods passing through Dublin Port were almost 11% down for the first six months of this year, according to figures from the Dublin Port Company.

Overall port tonnage, reports RTE News, was 10.9% lower than in the same six month period last year.

A first quarter decline of almost 5% - which was attributed to 'Brexit stockpiling' in the first three months of 2019 - was followed by a steeper decline of 17% in the second quarter as the pandemic impacted the economy.

However, the decline was not as severe as expected.

A 26.2% decline in tonnage in April was followed by a smaller decline of 20.5% in May and a fall of just 5.5% in June.

Ferry passenger numbers were down by over 78% to 120,000 - the majority of whom were HGV drivers and other critical supply chain workers.

The number of tourist vehicles fell by over 84% to 24,000.

More here on the port's performance.

Afloat adds as for the only cruiseship caller which took place in early March, see end paragrpah of this article. Noting it transpired the Norwegian Hurtigruten cruiseship cancelled its call to the capital. 

#cruiseliners - The Port of Dublin is to greatly curtail cruise ships using its facilities and may axe the business altogether.

Eamonn O’Reilly, chief executive of Dublin Port Company told the Sunday Independent that rising freight volumes and the need to create space due to Brexit meant that trade needed to be prioritised over tourism.

The move will be a big blow to tourism and retail interests in the city. Almost 300,000 cruise passengers docked in the city in 2018, up 32pc.

But O’Reilly said that the cruise ship business would “peak during 2019 and from 2021 we will be taking significantly fewer bookings for cruises”. “Our primary business is freight and we are committed to our freight customers — that’s our core business.”

Last year, 8,000 ships used the port,” he said. “Just 150 were cruise ships. It’s a small part of our business.

For more on the story click here. 

#cruiseliners -  A Cruise Europe summit hosted by Dublin Port Company to discuss Brexit by members of the cruise association that promotes destinations in Northern and Atlantic Europe was recently held in the Irish capital.

Attending the summit was Simon Coveney, An Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, who opened proceedings by updating members on the uncertainty that continues to prevail over Brexit. The Minister went on to state that this is not just a British issue but will have an effect on many other EU states.

This uncertainty is proving to be challenging for governments and business alike. The Minister acknowledged the economic benefit of the tourism and maritime sectors and reiterated the government commitment to supporting these industries and the development of cruise tourism going forward.

According to Cruise Europe, panellists agreed that the uncertainty that remains is bad for business. All organisations are spending time and resources on contingency planning rather than developing growth strategies. While current cruise bookings remain buoyant and there are no immediate plans to change itineraries, the main concern is the stability of sterling and the potential economic impact thereof.

The movement of passengers and stores remains under review. However, cruise companies do not anticipate that there will be a significant impact at this time. Cruise operators did request that ports relay any information in relation to local customs and immigration decisions that may be useful in the planning process.

Panellists attending the summit at the Gibson Hotel, Dublin, included executives from Carnival UK, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean Cruises and Cruise & Maritime Voyages as well as representatives from Irish state agencies, port authorities, shipping agents and shore excursion providers.

Next month, Afloat adds will be Cruise Europe's annual Cruise Conference which is to be held in Zeebrugge, Belgium between 4-7 March.