The cost of hosting a ferry port : assessing Baltic ferry ports’ negative impact on urban areas and their strategies to mitigate it

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the article is to assess the negative impact of the leading Baltic ferry ports on the urban areas where ferry services are provided, as well as the strategies adopted to mitigate this impact. Design/Methodology/Approach: Several research methods were applied: literature review, data exploration method, desk research and comparative analysis. As this is a pilot study, the comparison is limited to: (a) the ferry ports with the largest turnover of wheeled cargo units; (b) selected criteria i.e., location, access infrastructure, investments in modern eco-friendly solutions. Findings: (1) almost all leading ferry ports within the BSR have developed solutions aimed at reducing the negative impact of their cargo operations on the port city and environment; (2) some ferry ports have actively responded to the IMO's call to cooperate with shipowners subsumed in Resolution MEPC.323(74). Practical Implications: This study allows to highlight the best practices to minimize the negative impact of ferry ports on urban areas, as well as indicate examples of effective cooperation with ferry operators in the BSR, which can be a model for other ferry ports. Originality/Value: So far, no research has been conducted on the activities undertaken by the ferry terminals to eliminate the externalities of their activities, which causes a research gap in this area.