The Current Situation and the Prospects for Polish Ferry Shipping in the Baltic Sea in the 1st Half of the 21st Century

Abstract

The Baltic Sea region is an attractive area for the development of ferry routes. The relatively low distances between seaports in Nordic countries and the south coast of the Baltic makes these routes quick and financially viable. In recent years Polish and foreign shipowners operating out of Gdynia, Gdańsk and Świnoujście have been gaining share in this market. The article outlines the development of Polish passenger ferry services in the Baltic Sea. An attempt has been made to characterise the role of Polish ferry shipowners and Polish-operated ferry routes in passenger shipping on the Baltic Sea market. The structure of current routes and the volume of passenger services have been presented, the prospects for the ferry shipping market have been described.