A BOSS at a cross channel ferry is predicting a renaissance for ferries during the easing of lockdown restriction following the pandemic.

Kasper Moos, head of short routes and passenger for DFDS, which runs the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry, has predicted the pandemic could spark a boom in no-fly holidays as he outlined how the ferry sector has coped with Covid-19.

He believes that as the travel sector starts to reopen following the long shutdown caused by Covid-19, prospective holidaymakers will choose travelling by boat over flying.

While tourism faces a number of challenges in responding to the new world of travel and changing customer expectations, the ferry industry is uniquely positioned to adapt.

The Argus:

Mr Moos said: “Passengers are rediscovering ferry travel as a safe way to start their holidays and to reach a host of great destinations on the near Continent and further afield. A few weeks on from the UK government’s decision to lift its quarantine, bookings on our ferry services are starting to build.

“We’re at 35 to 40 per cent of our usual volumes for the summer peak on our routes between the UK and France.”

DFDS’ routes offer great connections into the main European motorway network, opening up a wide range of options to those who want to pack up the car for a home away from home experience. A simple, short ferry ride can bring hundreds of destinations closer than many people think, from the stunning coastlines of Northern France, to the Dordogne, the magnificent mountains of Northern Germany or the wide open spaces of the Netherlands.

Mr Moos said: “A key part of the unique appeal of ferry travel is our ability to offer access to plenty of space, fantastic onboard cafes and restaurants, and access to outside decks offering stunning sea views and a fresh sea breeze all as part of the journey experience. Passengers on our ferry services enjoy a relaxing start to their holiday.

“We hope that changing consumer behaviour after the pandemic will see a real renaissance in ferry travel, which has come a long way since the booze cruises and cut-price offers of the 1990s.”

Mr Moos said “the precautions being taken to reassure holidaymakers in the wake of the pandemic means it can support socially distanced travel”.

Mr Moos added: “Delivering the best possible onboard experience for our passengers is at the heart of everything we do. Offering the chance to personalise their journey and make choices that are most suited to them by providing a range of different onboard concepts has been increasingly important as we’ve upgraded our fleet. Earlier this year on our Dover to Dunkirk route, we introduced new open and relaxing spaces with fresh décor, which is coincidentally well suited to the new environment of social distancing, and it has quickly become popular with passengers.“We’ll continue to improve our ships, including on our short routes across the Channel from Dover to Calais and Dunkirk or from Newhaven to Dieppe, and on our overnight route between Newcastle and Amsterdam, so that they continue to meet the high standards modern travellers demand.

“When our new ship, Cote d’Opale arrives on our Dover to Calais route in summer next year, we’ll be able to offer even more improvements.”

The French government has subsidised the Newhaven to Dieppe route in recent years.

The Argus reported in 2016 that 20 million euros a year would continue to flow from French taxpayers to operators of the crossing, securing hundreds of jobs on both sides of the Channel.

There was delight in 2017 when it was agreed that the service would continue to run until 2023 at the minimum. MP Maria Caulfield was among those to welcome the decision.