Record figures for DFDS

2015: record figures for DFDS routes in North Sea and English Channel

Copenhagen, Thursday, March 3, 2016 - On average 4.8% growth in passengers and vehicles due to focus on customer satisfaction

DFDS can look back on a successful 2015 with record figures on the routes IJmuiden - Newcastle, Dunkirk - Dover and Calais - Dover. The cruise ferry company transported 587,000 passengers and 121,500 vehicles on the IJmuiden - Newcastle route last year, a growth of 2.6% compared to 2014. Sailing routes to Dover were also popular: 1,007,252 vehicles were transported in 2015, 7% more than last year. The growth is partly the result of an improvement process in which DFDS focuses on customer satisfaction and service. Passengers rated DFDS with an average of 7.6 last year. Turnover on all shipping routes increased by 5% to DKK 13.5 billion (approximately 1.81 billion euros).

Record in 2015 and good prospects

DFDS transported a record number of passengers from IJmuiden to Newcastle in 2015 and vice versa: 587,000 (2014: 572,000). The total number of vehicles was 121,500 (2014: 109,500). There was also clear growth of 7% on the Dunkirk - Dover and Calais - Dover routes on the Channel. A total of 1,007,252 vehicles were transported. Volumes in the freight division of DFDS increased by 7%. The North Sea in particular remained an important market with 10% growth in freight volumes. DFDS is active on thirty shipping routes. In total, the cruise ferry company transported 6.2 million passengers on all shipping routes last year. The total turnover on all shipping routes was DKK 13.5 billion (approximately 1.81 billion euros) in 2015, an increase of 5% compared to last year. The expectations for 2016 are also positive: "Bookings are made early for the high season. We also try to make travelers enthusiastic about crossings and possible connecting road trips in southern England and Scotland in the spring and autumn. In addition, we added two ships on the Calais - Dover route in February, "says Teun-Wim Leene, DFDS country manager.

Surveys, internal training and exchange programme

In 2015, the focus was on improving customer satisfaction at DFDS. The Customer Focus Initiative was set up for this purpose, an initiative with three points of attention: listening to the customer, training the staff and focusing on cultural differences. To realize listening to the customer, DFDS conducts annual customer satisfaction surveys among its passengers. The topics vary from experiences during booking to how the terminals and different spaces on board were liked. Passengers gave DFDS an average of 7.6 in 2015. DFDS trains the staff based on the feedback from the surveys. Employees receive internal training under the heading 'Yes we will' to constantly improve the daily course of affairs. Another focal point is bridging cultural differences among the different nationalities on board. That is why DFDS set up an exchange program in 2015 around internships with universities in China, Japan and Korea. Tourism Management students from Asia work on the ships for a while during their studies.