Sat, 07 Apr 2018
The Steam Packet Company insists the number of people visiting the Isle of Man grew last year based on its passenger figures.
The ferry operator reported a 3.4% increase in inbound passengers in 2017, with growth recorded on four of the company's five routes.
The Steam Packet believes the rise is down to more car, motorbike and coach users travelling to the Island, as well as special event traffic.
In a statement, the firm says the figures are taken from their own booking system rather than a sample.
The growth is in contrast to the Government's recently-published Annual Passenger Survey, which showed visitor figures dropped by 8.7% compared to 2016.