Final passenger figures show that, the 2007 centenary apart, this year’s TT has been the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company’s busiest festival for a decade.
TT2012 saw 35,172 passengers travel to the Island on ferries between May 23 and June 8, up 4.3% on the comparable period for last year, and there was a 3.4% increase in the number of motorcycles, up to 11,237 this year.
Chief Executive Mark Woodward explained: ‘As always, the statistics include all inbound numbers to the Island, including residents returning home. Therefore, the number of motorbikes provides the best indicator as to how many TT visitors the Island has welcomed.
‘What’s really encouraging is that since 2009 the passenger numbers have increased by 16.7%, with motorbike numbers up 13.5% - indeed, this year has seen the highest number of bikes carried for 10 years, other than for the festival’s centenary year.’
