Portsmouth International Port sees rise in number of people travelling through

MORE than two million passengers travelled through Portsmouth International Port in 2016, according to the latest figures.
Mike Sellers at Portsmouth International PortMike Sellers at Portsmouth International Port
Mike Sellers at Portsmouth International Port

They show that 2,045,074 passengers were recorded last year at the port – a three per cent increase on the 2015 figures.

Mike Sellers, port director at Portsmouth International Port, said: ‘More than two million passengers have voted with their feet, cars and lorries and chosen Portsmouth for their journey to France, Spain or the Channel Islands in the last year.

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‘It is an impressive milestone and a sign that investment in new facilities and the ease of access to the port are keeping Portsmouth ahead of our competition as the customers’ choice.’

The port is owned by Portsmouth City Council.

Council leader Donna Jones said: ‘This is great news for our port and for the city.

‘It’s evidence of our excellent transport connections and determination to keep up the port’s position in the market.

‘We’ve made substantial recent investments in the port to make sure it remains an attractive option for passengers.’

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The rise in passengers at Portsmouth International Port has also been seen in figures just released by Brittany Ferries. The ferry operator, which has its base in Portsmouth, saw a 10-year record for passengers crossing to France in 2016.

Of particular note, passenger records made at Portsmouth International Port showed a 31 per cent year-on -year increase in the number of people using the Cherbourg route.

Statistics for the number of people travelling to Northern Spain from Portsmouth International Port also show a 7.6 per cent increase in the number of people making the crossing to Bilbao, and a 4.3 per cent rise in those heading to Santander.