Third-country tourists on the ferries linking Germany with Lithuania

Abstract

This paper examines third-country passengers’ travel itineraries on the DFDS Seaways ferry route linking Kiel, Germany with Klaipeda, Lithuania using a mixed-methods approach comprising qualitative and quantitative methods, including geographical information system spatial-cluster analysis. Survey results reveal the predominant third- country passenger groups (i.e. passengers from countries other than Germany and Lithuania) on ferries sailing from Kiel to Klaipeda and back were Latvian (28%), Dutch (20%), British (14%) and Danish (12%) nationals; 86% of Latvian passengers used the ferry to travel between home in Latvia and work in Western Europe. Western European passengers comprised a diverse segment of motorized tourists using the ferry in summer to reach the Baltic States faster than by land. The paper highlights the role of the Kiel– Klaipeda ferry route within the Baltic Sea motorized tourism circuit linking the Baltic and Nordic countries with Western Europe.