On Air Manx Radio Breakfast Ben Hartley & Sian Cowper | 7:30am - 9:30am

Staycation boom bumps up ferry figures

Journeys double Jersey and Guernsey numbers combined

Over half a million passengers traveled to the Island by ferry last year, it's been revealed.

The figures, released by industry body Discover Ferries, also show car passenger numbers are up 1.7 per cent across the British Isles.

Around 177,000 motor vehicles used the Steam Packet - over twice the amount of journeys made to Jersey and Guernsey combined.

It's being attributed to a rise in the popularity of so-called 'staycations'.

Discover Ferries Director Bill Gibbons said it's 'particularly good news for the sector', as more and more Britons take advantage of the 'flexibility, value and freedom of a break by sea'.

More from Isle of Man News