You may have known the feeling of rounding the last bend, seeing the ferry and within a short moment losing hope of getting on? The queue is too long, and the car you are sitting in must wait for the next departure. It is not a problem where it is possible to reserve a place, but this is not the case on all ferry routes. The tourist buses can no longer pre-book a place on any of the ferries in Nordland. This means that the German bus company SR Travel is now considering changing its routes around Sweden. – A pre-booking on the ferry gave us the guarantee we needed to hit everything on the programme. If we don’t come with a ferry, it will affect us to a great extent, says managing director of SR Travel, Petra Tebest. The ferry queues are long in the summer. The picture from Lødingen, summer 2021. Photo: Norwegian Public Roads Administration Considering dropping Lofoten Tebest emphasizes that the long route is entirely dependent on well-rested drivers. – If we have to be at the ferry terminal as early as possible, we have to be at the hotel earlier to be able to drive out earlier the next day. The problems shift with the length of the ferry queue. The German company has more than 10,000 traveling tourists a year. Now they are considering alternative itineraries next year. This could mean that one of Nordland’s most popular destinations will not be available. – Lofoten is the highlight for our tourists, it is! But now we have to consider all possible options. In the worst case, there will be a loss of Lofoten, and thus a reduction in the trip’s attractiveness, continues Tebest. Lofoten is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. Reine is a popular place for a stop, also for the tourist buses. Photo: Sondre Skjelvik Tourists miss out on reservations The popular section between Bodø and Moskenes can be reserved. But a little further north, between Bognes and Lødingen, or Svolvær and Skutvik, it is worse. This is where SR Travel and other tour buses face challenges. The fact that the tourist buses have to wait on the same line as other motorists believes that the travel company XXLofoten will cause problems. – The problem is not only in waiting on the ferry quay, but that the trips are often booked as a package, says Trygve Steen, head of the travel company. Trygve Steen, manager of the travel company XXLofoten. Photo: Karianne Klovning If operators such as SR Travel choose to travel through Sweden, Steen believes that it could cause Norwegian accommodation companies a loss of at least NOK 15 million. He points out that small delays of up to one hour can have major consequences for both travelers and the tourism industry. – If they have to catch lunch at a restaurant that is initially full, neither the boat nor the restaurant will be empty and waiting. There will be a delay in the food, and then it destroys the entire logistics chain. Equal for all – The main rule is that everyone must be treated equally. You must get on board in the order you arrived at the ferry berth. That’s what Dag Hole, department director for ferries in the Norwegian Road Administration, says. Dag Hole, department director for ferries in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration is aware that there can be queues on various ferry routes during periods of heavy traffic, but points out that the capacity of the ferries has increased, and that there are thus better offers and less waiting time. – Unless there are very special cases that make it impossible to have a route offer that takes away the traffic, there should be no pre-booking. He says they understand that some people want the opportunity to reserve a space, but that delays along the road are a risk that all motorists must take. – Our goal is not for anyone to stand in a queue, but it is limited how well we can afford to buy ferry services across the country. We think that a one-hour waiting time at the ferry terminal is within. Fearing the high season Trygve Steen in XXLofoten says he does not understand why this change has come. He believes the old solution worked well for all parties. – I have not been able to register that the old practice of allowing the buses to be reserved has caused any problems whatsoever. It is a security we all pay for by making a reservation. Steen fears what will happen when the high season arrives. – I would assume that this is going to be a challenge. There may be cancellations or accumulation of cars. And then there is a stop, and then there is a wait. Dag Hole in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration emphasizes that he understands that the tourist companies want an advantage, but explains that advance reservations make work at the ferry site challenging. – It requires a large installation area on land, and the more traffic there is, the more difficult it is to achieve. Published 03.07.2024, at 16.18
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Tourist buses cannot reserve a place on the ferry. Tourism can lose millions – news Nordland
