“It has been an excellent summer, with solid development and growth across all our routes. We have recorded a marked increase compared with the same period last year,” said Fjord Line CEO Heidi Nag Flikka.

With up to six daily departures in each direction between Norway and Denmark, Fjord Line is Norway’s second-largest international ferry operator and one of the country’s largest travel companies. During the summer, the company recorded clear growth in the number of Norwegian passengers travelling to Denmark.

“Denmark is becoming an increasingly popular holiday destination. At a time of heatwaves in southern Europe, cancelled flights and a Norwegian krone that continues to move in the right direction, it is still great to be Norwegian in Denmark,” said Flikka.

Fjord Line has also recorded growth in the number of international tourists, who now outnumber Norwegian passengers on board. So far this year, almost 60% of passengers travelling aboard Fjord Line’s ferries to Bergen, Stavanger and Kristiansand have come from countries other than Norway.

“Every year, several hundred thousand international visitors travel to Norway with Fjord Line. We have also recorded healthy growth in this segment, both among those exploring Norway independently and those travelling on package holidays,” said Flikka.

“Passengers travelling to Norway with Fjord Line generate enormous value for local economies. We intend to develop this opportunity further and are actively seeking additional local and regional partners that can help us develop tourism along the entire coast throughout the year,” said Flikka.

In recent years, Fjord Line has carried out extensive modernisation and efficiency improvements across its operations, including major sustainability initiatives.

This spring, Egersund-based Kontrari and Bergen-based West Coast Invest acquired full ownership of Fjord Line. Heidi Nag Flikka subsequently took over as the company’s new CEO this summer.

Fjord Line is the only ferry company connecting Western Norway with continental Europe, offering daily sailings between Bergen, Stavanger and Hirtshals with the cruise ferries STAVANGERFJORD and BERGENSFJORD. In recent years, Fjord Line has doubled capacity between Kristiansand and Hirtshals by adding more departures and deploying FJORD FSTR.

Fjord Line’s freight business has also recorded significant growth in recent years. In June, the company took over Transportsentralen Kristiansand, increasing both its workforce and its presence at one of Norway’s most important gateways to continental Europe.

“I have always said that Fjord Line has considerable potential, and we are now beginning to see that potential materialise. With local owners and strong local roots behind us, we will use our current momentum to continue growing,” said Flikka.

© Shippax