IOMSPC confirms positive growth in Summer holidays traffic

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is confirming positive traffic figures for the Summer period.

The Company can confirm a 9.6% increase in total passengers carried to the Isle of Man during this year’s Isle of Man school summer holidays compared to the same period last year.

Comparing traffic against 2024, IOMSPC has seen an increase in inbound passenger, private vehicles, and motorcycle traffic.

This follows the strategic pricing initiatives unveiled in November 2024, including a 10% reduction in standard fare prices, and allowing children to sail free on all scheduled sailings throughout the year.

With shorter lead times to bookings seeming to be an increasing trend, the good weather in July and August is likely to also have had an impact on demand for travel to the Isle of Man.

Another significant factor in the increase in visitor numbers appears to be the reimagining of the Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix event.

Overall inbound passenger numbers during the event reached 31,406. This is the Company’s record carryings for the period since comparable records began in 1993.

The Summer holidays period as a whole saw a 16% increase (to 7,216) in the number of motorcycles visiting the Isle of Man, and Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT saw a 20% jump to 3,075.

Managing Director Brian Thomson said ‘The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is pleased to be playing its part in driving forward economic growth in the Isle of Man. We’ve seen our annual volumes grow each year since the end of the Covid restrictions. This has been a successful Summer for us and we’re looking to build on that as we start to roll out our campaigns for Autumn and Winter periods.’

Notes:

For comparison purposes IOMSPC have used 19/07/25-31/08/2025 versus 20/07/25-01/09/25

Private vehicle traffic includes all private cars, vans, campervans, motorhomes and accompanying trailers, but excludes coaches and any traffic booked for commercial reasons.

Comparative data: Manx Grand Prix periods since 2018, inbound volume only