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UK North Sea Port of Harwich to Benefit from Tourism Influx in Updated Restrictions

3rd August 2021
Quarantine restrictions in the UK were lifted (yesterday, 2 Aug.) for fully-vaccinated EU and US passengers. Above AFLOAT's photo of Stena Britannia, (outward bound off Harwich), is one of pair of giant 63,500gt ferries that operates Stena Line's only 'combined passenger & freight' route connecting the UK and mainland Europe through the Dutch port of Hook van Holland. The North Sea route also acts as a UK 'landbridge' for trade travelling between Ireland and Europe and beyond, where in Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea, Stena operate a more larger route network. Quarantine restrictions in the UK were lifted (yesterday, 2 Aug.) for fully-vaccinated EU and US passengers. Above AFLOAT's photo of Stena Britannia, (outward bound off Harwich), is one of pair of giant 63,500gt ferries that operates Stena Line's only 'combined passenger & freight' route connecting the UK and mainland Europe through the Dutch port of Hook van Holland. The North Sea route also acts as a UK 'landbridge' for trade travelling between Ireland and Europe and beyond, where in Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea, Stena operate a more larger route network. Credit: Jehan Ashmore

In the UK, the North Sea ferry and cruise port of Harwich is set to benefit from an influx of tourists after quarantine restrictions were lifted (yesterday) for fully-vaccinated passengers arriving from amber countries in Europe and the USA.

It comes as part of a range of new measures designed to drive forward the reopening of international travel.

The move has been welcomed by Stena Line, one of the world’s leading ferry operators, which provides services from Harwich (to Hook van Holland in the Netherlands).

Simon Palmer, of Stena Line, said it has been a long time coming after half of the firm’s business was lost during the pandemic.

According to the Harwich & Manningtree Standard which has more on this story, the port is also to welcome tomorrow the return of the World's largest cruise tallship, Golden Horizon which beforehand made a maiden 'UK waters based' cruise departing the Port of Dover in Kent.  

Opposite of Harwich, Afloat adds is the UK's biggest box-boat port of Felixstowe from where this week the port is finally to receive Ever Given, more than four months than planned after the giant containership blocked the Suez Canal.

As reported last week, Ever Given had called to Rotterdam (Hutchison Ports ECT Delta Terminal) for the first time since the canal incident took place in March. 

Afloat today tracked the containership off the English east coast as the 400m ship is scheduled to arrive this Sunday at Felixstowe which is operated by Hutchison Ports. 

Published in Stena Line
Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals. 

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About Stena Line

Stena Line is one of Europe's leading ferry companies with 37 vessels and 17 routes in Northern Europe operating 25,000 sailings each year. Stena Line is an important part of the European logistics network and develops new intermodal freight solutions by combining transport by rail, road and sea. Stena Line also plays an important role for tourism in Europe with its extensive passenger operations. The company is family-owned, was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Gothenburg. Stena Line has 4,300 employees and an annual turnover of 14 billion SEK.