AQW 42840/11-15

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 25/02/2015
Answered On Date: 11/03/2015
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment whether she has had discussions with P&O and Larne Port on making pricing more competitive to facilitate a greater flow of trade and tourists across the North Channel and through Larne Port.

Answer:

Northern Ireland’s ferry links with Great Britain are essential to the growth of the local economy. However, the development and operation of ferry links, and the fares the operators charge, are commercial matters for individual sea carriers and the Northern Ireland and GB ports.

Our ferry links are particularly important to the tourism industry and Tourism Ireland works closely with all the major ferry operators to highlight value fares, inclusive packages and ease of access to Northern Ireland.

Tourism Ireland engages in co-operative marketing with both sea and air carriers in major markets and invests in co-operative marketing activity with ferry operators such as Stena Line and P&O Lines. For example, in 2014 a spring digital marketing campaign in partnership with P&O and Causeway Coast and Glens targeted potential visitors from Scotland and the North of England, highlighting good value fares from Cairnryan and Troon to Larne and themes such as the Causeway Coastal Route, Game of Thrones, the Grande Partenza of the Giro d’Italia and the Dalriada Festival.

Similarly, an autumn print and digital marketing campaign in partnership with P&O highlighted good value fares and Londonderry as a festival and city break destination. Further co-operative marketing campaigns with sea carriers serving routes to Northern Ireland are at planning stage for 2015.