Coronavirus-enforced travel restrictions resulted in fewer total passenger movements in 2021 but these jumped by nearly 21% in the second half of the year (versus H2 2020), AS Tallink Grupp has reported.

In its fourth quarter and December results statement released today, the Baltic cruise, ferry and shipping company announced it served 2,961, 975 passengers across all its routes, a 20.6% decrease compared with full-year 2020 (3,732,102 passengers).

Finland-Sweden, Estonia to Finland and Latvia to Sweden routes suffered losses compared with 2020, with the Latvia to Sweden route remaining fully suspended throughout 2021 and two Finland to Sweden vessels only returning to their regular routes in the second half of 2021.

The Tallinn to Stockholm route, which was re-opened in July after being suspended for nearly 18 months, was the only one to record an increase in passenger numbers in 2021.

CARGO VOLUMES UP

Last year, Tallink jettisoned its onshore fashion retail business by selling 100% of the shares to an Estonian firm.

Paavo Nõgene, CEO of AS Tallink Grupp, commented: “Although the traveller numbers are yet again lower than we would have liked them to be in 2021, we are pleased that the second half of the year saw a near 21% increase in passenger numbers […] and we were able to re-open some of our popular routes half way through 2021, which had remained suspended since the start of the pandemic.

“For the second year running, we were creative, pushed the boundaries by bringing many new services like Covid testing and vaccinations on board with new partners and, at times, also partnering with our governments. All with the goal of giving healthy people who need to travel, the opportunity to travel in these difficult times.”

Despite reductions in passenger volumes, the number of cargo units carried during the year grew by 2.6%.

“We hope that once we get past the ongoing Omicron wave and the low winter season, we will soon reach a phase in the fight against the virus, which signals that we are nearing the end of our fight and our ultimate defeat of Covid and we can start to rebuild our lives, businesses, societies,” added Nõgene.

“Tallink Grupp is standing here at the starting line of 2022 full of hope and expectation that this year we will see a change for the better at last. As an organisation we are leaner, more cost-effective and doing everything we can to ensure the long-term sustainability of our business.

“Our professional team here at Tallink Silja will continue to work towards recovery, rebuilding and restoration of our plans and goals as we did in 2021.”

As reported, Tallink provided an early view in December of the retail offer onboard its MyStar shuttle vessel currently under construction.