Trade body Discovery Ferries has asserted that plans to launch nine new passenger ferries on Ireland and UK routes indicate that the industry is "continuing to thrive".
As reported by The Irish Independent, the companies planning to expand their fleets include Irish Ferries, Brittany Ferries and Stena Line, with the new vessels including ferries for passengers and vehicles, as well as the largest catamaran to operate in London.
"Great News"
Discover Ferries director Emma Batchelor stated, "The introduction of these nine new passenger ferries is great news, not only for the shipping sector but also for the millions of holidaymakers who value comfort and space when they travel.
"These ships, which are set to enter service from this year, clearly demonstrate the confidence that the industry has in the future of ferry travel and its popularity.
"This also sends a clear message that ferry travel is continuing to thrive, and passengers should book their ferry travel for 2019 with confidence, whether they are sailing across the Irish Sea, around London, the British Isles or into mainland Europe."
Planned Ships
Among the new ferries in the pipeline are an Irish Ferries vessel due to start sailing between Ireland and Britain in 2020, a £175 million state-of-the-art Brittany Ferries ship due to launch on the company's Portsmouth-Caen route in July of this year, and three new Stena Line ships currently under construction in China, the first of which is scheduled to start operating on the Dublin-Holyhead route in early 2020.
© 2019 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
