Outstanding wildlife sightings from ships, new vessels and pet-friendly travel are encouraging more passengers to take the ferry.
2024 has seen a resurgence in ferry travel as holidaymakers opt to travel by water to enjoy holidays around the British Isles and Europe. Discover Ferries, the ferry industry body, reports that there were more than 12.5 million passenger crossings for business and pleasure in the last three months*, with 23.5 million passenger ferry crossings in 2024 so far.
More people are choosing to travel to France by ferry, with 8.2 million UK passengers visiting the world’s favourite holiday destination by sea so far this year, 8% more than last year. Growing interest in rail and sea travel has also supported continued investment in sustainable ferry transport.
Marine life tourism
Thanks to the cool, nutrient-rich waters around the UK, ferry travel is one of the best ways to spot whales, dolphins and porpoises in the wild. This year, large numbers of fin whales, the second largest animal in the world, have been sighted from ferries travelling through the Bay of Biscay affording passengers prime opportunity to glimpse these shy creatures in nature.
Isles of Scilly Travel’s sailing from Penzance to St Mary’s once again proves to be one of the best ferry routes for marine life spotting, with the highest number of Risso dolphin sightings recorded this year. Marine conservation charity ORCA works closely with ferry operators to run wildlife surveys on ships and organise deck watches and deliver environmental talks for passengers on selected routes.
Abby Penlington, Director of Discover Ferries says: “Ferry passengers can experience fantastic encounters with nature, but many people are surprised by the number of marine mammals they can see so close to British shores. From minke whales and even humpbacks in the waters around the Scottish Hebrides, to the seal colony visible when the ships dock in Calais and the seals and dolphins in the Thames, there are so many opportunities to spot marine life from ferry decks. Wildlife mini cruises, co-ordinated deck watches and special marine life packages are proving increasingly popular with holidaymakers who want to enjoy this experience as part of their holiday.”
Dog days are far from over
As a nation of animal lovers, Brits don’t only want to see wildlife on their holidays but also want to take four-legged members of the family with them. The search term “dog friendly hotels” has increased by +450% in the past 12 months and ferry operators are also seeing this interest in pet-friendly breaks translating to ticket sales.
Condor Ferries introduced pet cabins to its Condor Islander ship in 2023 and due to their popularity, pet cabins have also been installed on the Commodore Clipper. Brittany Ferries reported that its pet cabins for 2025 on its services to Spain sold out soon after their release earlier this month.
Greener travel
Penlington says: “Activities with pets and nature are climbing the ranks as important parts of people’s holidays and holiday-makers’ interest in conserving the natural world is also extending to how they can minimise their impact on the environment when travelling. However, to truly appeal to travellers, sustainability must be combined with an improved experience. Lowering emissions and building a sustainable future for ferry travel continues to be a priority for the industry and operators are investing in new ships, which are not only greener but have best-in-class facilities to offer an even better sailing experience for passengers. New ships coming into service are generating bookings by themselves and introducing new passengers to the joy of ferry travel.”
In the past three years ten new ships have launched into service including the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company’s Manxman, P&O Ferries’ Pioneer and Liberté, Salamanca and Santoña from Brittany Ferries, Côte D’Opale from DFDS and Stena Embla the last of three E-flexer class vessels for Stena Line on the Irish Sea. Sleek and modern interiors, new pet facilities, upgraded lounges and fantastic cafes and eateries on board these new classes of ferries have elevated the experience to the next level. Uber Boat by Thames Clippers has also launched three new hybrid electric ferries, which carry passengers through central London on journeys with zero emissions. The ships have large windows to help travellers enjoy fantastic views of the capital’s famous landmarks.
There’s more innovation on the way, Brittany Ferries has started trialling use of bio-LNG on its Spanish and Cherbourg routes to further cut CO2 emissions and will welcome two new LNG-electric hybrid ships, Saint Malo and Guillaume de Normandie into service in early 2025. Excitement around the new ships has converted to bookings as the day tickets went on sale was Brittany Ferries’ biggest ever day for reservations. The Saint-Malo even offers allergy-free cabins complete with allergy-friendly toiletries. For domestic travel and lifeline services, Caledonian MacBrayne is bringing six new dual-fuel vessels into service in Scotland’s western islands in 2025 and in 2026 Isles of Scilly Travel will launch Scillonian IV, a ferry featuring increased comfort with anti-roll fins, a shortened journey time and improved facilities for passengers with reduced mobility. Two electric ferries will come into service on the Solent, with Red Funnel launching its first electric high-speed ferry in 2025 and Wightlink welcoming its first fully-electric ferry in 2026-2027.
Seaside staycations continue to rise in popularity
11.2 million passenger ferry journeys have been made within the British Isles so far this year**. The Channel Islands have seen ferry passenger numbers dramatically increase, with 14% more passengers travelling to Jersey and Guernsey this Summer***. In the summer quarter – June, July and August – an estimated 12% more passengers have visited destinations in the Clyde and off Scotland’s west coast than in the same period last year. Closer to home, the London River Bus service saw passenger numbers rise to 2.7 million from May-July this year, an 8% uplift on the same period in 2023****. Seaside destinations remain attractive for visitors with more than three quarters (77%) of Brits saying they find being by water relaxing***** and two thirds (66%) of people saying they feel like they have been on holiday when they have spent time by water or the sea.
Penlington comments: “Staycations have become a staple for many British holidaymakers and, with the unpredictability of European weather in the height of summer, this trend is here to stay. Beautiful locations such as the Isle of Wight, the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Man – all best reached by ferry – are rising the ranks as must-visit destinations that don’t have the same heat and levels of tourism as Spain and Greece. We have seen growing numbers of visitors to these destinations over the past few years and it is showing no signs of stopping.”
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