Tourism in Jersey and Guernsey will ‘go elsewhere’, ferry boss warns

Ferry companies and business groups have called for a decision to be made “immediately” on which company will operate ferry services in the Channel Islands from March.

Brittany Ferries, Condor Ferries, the Jersey Chamber of Commerce and the Jersey Hospitality Association said in a statement that the “prolonged impasse” over the contract was “harmful” for tourism.

Christophe Mathieu, chief executive of Brittany Ferries and Condor Ferries, said tourists would “go somewhere else”.

Condor Ferries’ current operating agreements with Jersey and Guernsey expire on March 27, 2025, with the successful bidder expected to provide services for 15 years. The Governments of Jersey and Guernsey have been approached for comment.

It is understood that the three companies bidding for the contract Condor, Danish shipping company DFDS and Irish Ferries.

Ferry companies and business groups said the bidding process: which started in May, was now almost a month behind schedule.

Bidders were initially informed that the contract would be awarded no later than the end of September, they said in a statement.

Mr Mathieu said those working in the local tourism industry, as well as ferry staff and crews, were “going through a very worrying time with understandable fears for their future”.

He said there were no orders for Channel Islands services in 2025, “a direct result of delays and uncertainty in the tender process.”

“We are concerned that those who are planning to holiday in these beautiful places will simply go elsewhere,” he said.