Guernsey’s New Ferry Schedule Seen as Opportunity to Strengthen French Connections

A local business organization has stated that Guernsey’s recently introduced ferry schedule presents an opportunity for local businesses to enhance their connections with France. The timetable, unveiled last week, features daily services to St Malo, located in Brittany. The Guernsey Chamber of Commerce indicated that this development could improve “tourism and trade while expanding the import of food and other goods from France.” According to a chamber spokesperson, meetings have already taken place with counterparts in St. Malo to “seize” this opportunity and fully leverage the “benefits this schedule can bring.” Last month, Guernsey selected Brittany Ferries, the parent company of the existing operator Condor, to manage its ferry services for the upcoming 15 years. Conversely, Jersey has postponed its decision regarding the award of its ferry contract. On Friday, Brittany Ferries published its timetable for the coming year, detailing frequent ferry connections to the UK and France, but only a single weekly service to Jersey. The chamber expressed ongoing “concern about the challenges” that local businesses might encounter if Jersey chooses a different ferry operator than Guernsey. The organization noted that the loss of “economies of scale” and the absence of a consistent inter-island service could lead to difficulties and increased costs for local businesses. The spokesperson affirmed, “Despite these issues, we are committed to collaboration and working together to make this transition a success for our community.”