Tourism Group Deems Dual Channel Islands Ferry Operators “Unworkable”

A tourism organization has characterized the possibility of two distinct ferry operators providing services to the Channel Islands as “unworkable.” On Wednesday, Guernsey’s government declared its selection of Brittany Ferries as the favored contender to manage its essential maritime connections for the upcoming 15-year period. The Government of Jersey has not yet determined which entity will run its ferry operations, with options being Brittany or the Danish company DFDS. Simon De La Rue of the Guernsey Tourism Partnership (GTP) stated that this ongoing uncertainty has placed the sector in “no man’s land” and called upon Jersey’s government to reach a conclusion. The GTP advocates for a significant portion of Guernsey’s tourism industry, excluding hotels. Mr. De La Rue indicated that Guernsey’s choice to support Brittany Ferries had alleviated some of the ambiguity that was prompting individuals to reserve vacations elsewhere. He commented, “Aligning with a French-owned operator works well with our aspirations for developing the Paris market.” He further added, “At the same time, we are concerned that the prospect of two separate ferry companies serving the islands would be quite unworkable and urge the parties to reach a swift conclusion and award the contract.” He questioned, “Whether or not the two operators can work together if that is the case, who knows.” He also noted, “Economies of scale means it could be quite challenging.” Grant Miller, chairman of the UK-based travel agency Preston Holidays, asserted that the resolution should have occurred weeks prior. He explained, “The delays are affecting our business as it is the entire hospitality sector, with people not being able to book any further than March 2025.” He also stated, “We have no operator in Jersey, no schedules and no prices.” Mr. Miller expressed that a single ferry operator for both islands would be preferable. He remarked, “I think it would be difficult, we don’t know what routes they would operate or if there is the capacity for ports in the UK for two operators.” Hannah Beacom, chair of Guernsey’s Tourism Management Board, commented that this decision signifies the island is now “open for business.” She elaborated, “Of course, the devil is going to be in the details, the timetables, how reliable will the service be and can they improve on their communications both in the trade and to their passengers.” She further added, “I would like to see a robust service level agreement, so it’s not simply, you may operate, but there’s actually a good agreement on the frequency and reliability of the service and the customer care.” Ms. Beacom also noted potential complications if Jersey opts against selecting Brittany Ferries, unlike Guernsey. She stated, “The real difficulty would be who would run the interisland service, if at all because I understand that is not the biggest money maker.” The Committee for Economic Development in Guernsey made a unanimous choice for Brittany Ferries. Committee president Neil Inder declared the decision to be “immovable,” irrespective of Jersey’s choice. Inder commented, “If we do diverge I think that will be a massive disappointment for both the islands, but that will be a decision Jersey makes within its best interests.” He added, “We’ve made the decision in the best interests of our island based on the information in front of us.” Deputy Inder affirmed his agreement with Jersey’s Deputy Kirsten Morel that the resolution should not impact inter-island connections. Inder further stated: “I have found this very difficult, I don’t expect anyone to feel sorry for me as this is my job, but this is the only thing that has really given me sleepless nights.” For updates, BBC Guernsey can be followed on X and Facebook. BBC Jersey can also be followed on X and Facebook. Story ideas may be sent to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external sites. Details regarding its external linking policy are available.