Irish holidaymakers get the boat

IRISH travellers desperate for a foreign summer holiday are increasingly looking to ferries as a potential mode of transport.

Pictures of packed aircraft in recent weeks. with passengers not wearing masks. have turned many off the idea of air travel for the time being.

But ferry operators are reporting brisk traffic on their booking sites.

Brittany Ferries, which operates between Cork and Roscoff in France, and Rosslare to Bilbao in Spain, says it hopes to return to normal service ‘sooner rather than later’.

‘But in the meantime, we hope everyone is reassured by the sanitary measures that we will put in place when passenger services resume,’ a spokesman said.

‘It’s very possible that ferries will be more attractive to travellers post-crisis.

‘Our ships are huge, with plenty of open space, access to open decks with sea air, and fresh air circulated throughout the vessel, including in cabins.’

Irish Ferries also expects a lot of interest in its services to the UK and France.

‘We know that for many people, when they are allowed and want to travel again, that ferries do not carry the same fears that people have with airports, planes and hire cars,’ a spokesman said.

‘We are also at the same time revising our processes and procedures to make ferry travel even safer.

‘From our customer feedback we know specifically that in the current climate, we sense that people do not want to travel too far, and want to stay with the familiar.

Campsites in France, which are a popular destination for Irish holidaymakers, are expected to reopen in mid-June.