Insights into Mode of Travel European Markets: Travel by Sea

Transcription

1 Insight Department Insights into Mode of Travel European Markets: Travel by Sea 214

2 The purpose of this report is to provide insights into how visitors from our biggest markets in Europe travel to Scotland and the characteristics of trips using different modes of travel, using International Passenger Survey (IPS) data for the 5 year period While most of our international visitors fly to Scotland, a significant number from some of our nearest neighbours choose to take a ferry or go through the Channel Tunnel. The table below shows trips from our top 1 markets in Europe and the percentage of those trips where the main mode of travel is air and sea/tunnel. Country Total Trips () % Travel by % Travel by Sea/ tunnel % 42% % 12% 1,6 78% 22% 1,327 79% 21% Irish Republic % 4% Italy 56 92% 8% % 23% Norway 467 1% % Spain % 6% Sweden % 9% As the table illustrates, there is considerable variation between markets. From some countries, notably Norway, the Irish Republic and Spain, the vast majority of visits use air transport. However, some markets indicate a greater propensity to travel by sea or use the Channel Tunnel. For the purposes of this study, the five countries with more than 9% of trips to Scotland using air travel have been discounted. The tables below indicate the trip profile of visits by mode of travel from,,, and the. Visits to Scotland by mode of travel 1% 8% % % 6% 4% 2% % is the standout, with 42% of all trips being undertaken by sea or tunnel, while the, and have 23, 22 and 21% respectively. 12% of visits from are by sea or tunnel. 1

3 Nights in Scotland by mode of travel 1% 8% % % 6% 4% 2% % Trips by sea/tunnel account for 42% of all trips from but 57% of all nights. The average length of stay for those travelling by sea is 9.2 nights, compared to just 5. nights for air travellers. The same trend is very evident among travellers from the, with sea travellers staying 8.4 nights on average, compared to 5.4 nights for air travellers. Among visitors from and the length of stay is only slightly longer among sea travellers, while for German visitors there is no difference in average length of stay among the different modes of travel. Average length of stay by Mode of Travel (nights) and the have good connectivity with Scotland by ferry, with routes between Amsterdam (Ijmuiden) and Newcastle, and between Rotterdam and Zeebrugge and Hull. It seems likely this encourages more people to visit Scotland by car, taking longer touring trips. While there used to be a ferry connection between Esbjerg in and Newcastle, the only option now is to Harwich which is much less convenient for travel to Scotland. Amsterdam and Zeebrugge are also convenient from some of the major centres of population in such as Dusseldorf and Cologne/ Bonn. The direct passenger ferry service between Zeebrugge and Rosyth ceased operating in December 21, with a freight-only service now operating three times a week. 2

4 15 Average spend per night by mode of travel ( ) For all 5 markets, those travelling by air spend more on average per night than those travelling by other modes. This is not surprising as most business trips and city breaks will likely utilise air transport. and are the highest spending markets overall and for each of air and sea travel respectively Average spend per trip by mode of travel ( ) Analysis of average spend per trip once again indicates and are the highest spending markets. is the only market for which average spend per trip is higher for trips by sea than by air. However, average spend per trip by sea from both and is higher than for any other market by air. This analysis indicates the value of good connectivity by ferry in enabling longer stay, high value trips to Scotland from some of our closer continental neighbours. In particular, the reinstatement of a ferry link between Esbjerg in and Newcastle might facilitate an increased number of longer visits by the high-spending Danish market. Reinstating a ferry link to serve the Norwegian and/or Swedish markets may also be beneficial, although the distance of some of the major centres of population from likely ferry terminals in these countries is a possible challenge. A new link between Rosyth and Amsterdam, or reinstating the Rosyth-Zeebrugge passenger service, could be very valuable in making Scotland an even easier to reach destination for those who wish to bring their own car. 3

5 Contact us Insight Department VisitScotland Ocean Point One 94 Ocean Drive Edinburgh EH6 6JH T: Disclaimer: VisitScotland has published this report in good faith to update stakeholders on its activity. VisitScotland has taken all reasonable steps to confirm the information contained in the publication is correct. However, VisitScotland does not warrant or assume any legal liability for the accuracy of any information disclosed and accepts no responsibility for any error or omissions. Images: VisitScotland/Scottish Viewpoint and Thinkstock 4