MORE and more ferry passengers are booking their tickets online, according to the UK's largest operator P&O Stena Line.

A new interactive web site at www.posl.com has had such a major impact on the way the Dover-Calais operator does business that within seven months of being launched, 30 per cent of ferry bookings are already made online.

Before the new web site was launched in July two per cent of bookings were made via the Internet.

Marketing and sales director John Govett said: "By the end of this year we predict that more than half of our bookings will come through the web site. P&O Stena Line is leading the way in the use of new and emerging technologies to pioneer the sales of our ferry products."

The company is testing a new freight web site and is also working on different language versions of the tourist web site for continental customers.

Already sections exclusively for the use of coach and group operators and travel agents have been added to the main site, which also contains travel planning information, shopping tips, petrol prices, packaged accommodation and a fun section with interactive games. All ships coming back from annual refits now bear the posl.com name.

P&O Stena Line carries 11 million passengers annually on its Dover-Calais and Dover-Zeebrugge services.