Nova Star ferry touts ‘strong growth’ in first summer
Yarmouth-Portland ferry numbers keep rising each month, company says
The company that runs the Nova Star ferry between Yarmouth and Portland, Maine, says the number of passengers continues to climb with each summer month.
Nova Star Cruises says there were 13,043 passengers last month, for an average of 421 a day.
That’s up considerably from June, when there were a total of 6,791 passengers, the company says.
Nova Star Cruises says the total for August will be even higher.
There were 17,255 passengers in the first two weeks of August alone, the company said in a news release Friday.
CEO Mark Amundsen attributes the rising numbers to positive word of mouth and strong marketing efforts in the U.S.
"We are very optimistic and positive about the future," he said.
The Nova Star ferry service launched in May. The company hopes to have an average 500 to 700 passengers a day in the peak season.
The ferry was at 10 per cent capacity in June, according to the City of Portland.
The Nova Scotia government committed $21 million over seven years to the ferry operation. The final instalment was paid last month.