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Direct Ferries launches dedicated US website
Ferry booking website Direct Ferries is looking to add more product in the US, Canada and Central America after launching a dedicated site for the US market.
The company, which now has 25 websites internationally, launched the US site after noticing a demand from the market.
"We looked at our existing sites, mainly the UK and Scandinavia, and realised around 7% of our annual 650,000 bookings were from US customers," said marketing director Andrew Crowe.
"Go back two or three years and it was less than half that amount."
Crowe said Direct Ferries was now focusing on adding more ferry operators for the US market.
It has already signed commercial deals with Bahamas Express, Baja Ferries and America Cruise Ferries, as well as BC Ferries and Clipper Vacations in Canada.
Earlier this month it added Buquebus, which operates ferries between Uruguay and Argentina.
It also has agreements in place to offer ferry services between the US and Cuba when travel restrictions are relaxed.
Meanwhile, Direct Ferries is in talks with third party operators and OTAs who are looking to add ferry crossings to their product ranges.
It already provides ferry booking technology for air miles giant Avios and deals with other major players are in the pipeline.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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