Inverclyde ferry services: A passenger segmentation analysis

Abstract

This research project was funded jointly by Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire and the Moffat Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University. The rationale was to identify the existing passenger mix on two Scottish ferry routes and to what extent the ferry service relied on leisure visitors and tourists. The study was undertaken in three seasonal phases that served to segment passengers into specific purpose of travel groups, identify accommodation and leisure activity choices and monitor spending behaviour. The main aim of this paper is to provide ferry passenger profiles that reflect passenger types using two Scottish ferry routes exiting from Gourock and Wemyss Bay ports during regular and holiday periods. Existing passenger use and quality ratings of goods and services are assessed. The objective is to provide marketing recommendations that will stimulate economic benefit for the ferry company and local businesses and services. In 1999 ferry passenger intercept surveys were conducted during three seasonal phases. Phase 1, undertaken in an off-peak period during winter, identified that almost half of all traffic was related to business commuting. Over 60 per cent of surveyed passengers were residents of Argyll who began their journey from home, which tended to be less than 20 miles from the ferry terminal. During Phase 2, carried out over the Easter break, traffic was more diverse with only 28 per cent of Argyll residents travelling on both routes. However, over 40 per cent began their journey from Argyll and a high leisure market segment was identified, originating predominantly from central Scotland. Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) and day trips were the most popular reason for travel from both destinations. During Phase 3, conducted in the summer, nearly half of all passengers originated from Argyll, including a large proportion of day trippers. Visitors from England and overseas were more pronounced during this phase. English visitors were more likely to stay in hotels while overseas visitors chose guesthouse or bed-and-breakfast accommodation.