Ferry travel between Guernsey and St Malo has surged by more than 56% since 2024, with Brittany Ferries crediting better timetables, more departures, and targeted marketing for transforming the island’s ferry links.
In the first 11 months to the end of September, nearly 103,000 passengers travelled the Guernsey-St Malo route – up nearly 37,000 compared to the same period in 2024, the final year under former operator Condor Ferries.
The revival is not limited to the French market. UK sailings via Poole and Portsmouth also jumped by 13.2%,pushing overall passenger volumes across all Guernsey routes up by nearly 29% over the two-year period.
The performance has seen Guernsey punch well above its weight across the Channel Islands, a spokesperson said.
Christophe Mathieu, CEO of Brittany Ferries, said it was “remarkable” that “almost half of all sea passengers to the Channel Islands” come to Guernsey, adding that it was “a credit to everyone involved”.
Despite total passenger traffic across the wider UK-France-Channel Islands network dipping by 4.1% since 2024, Guernsey has bucked the trend entirely – growing its share of total regional sea traffic from 33% to 44%.
By contrast, passenger numbers on Jersey routes remain significantly below their 2024 levels.
Late-season surge
The boom between Guernsey and Brittany proved especially strong into the shoulder months.
Between July and September, Guernsey-St Malo passenger volumes jumped 52.9% to more than 53,900.
September was a particular standout, with traffic almost doubling to over 12,800 passengers compared to 2024 levels.
Brittany Ferries took over the island’s sea links in 2025 under a 15-year contract with the States of Guernsey.
Following an initial 25.8% jump in 2025, volumes across all Guernsey routes climbed a further 2.4% this year, indicating a permanent increase in traffic.
Mr Mathieu praised the turnaround: “I’m particularly pleased to see the growth in travel between Guernsey and France. Our schedule has enabled us to offer direct sailings with better timings and a greater choice of departures, making it easier for people to travel between the two destinations.
“This is all the more remarkable when you consider the respective populations of both Islands. For the Bailiwick of Guernsey to have welcomed almost half of all sea passengers to the Channel Islands is a credit to everyone involved.”
Boosting the local economy
The operator highlighted its close collaboration with Visit Guernsey to convert day-trippers into higher-spending overnight visitors.
“In 2026, we also placed particular emphasis on encouraging visitors from France to stay longer in Guernsey,working in partnership with Visit Guernsey,” said Mr Mathieu.
“This has helped to encourage an increase in overnight visits, bringing additional benefits to the Island’s hotels, restaurants, and wider hospitality sector.”
Addressing the contrast with Jersey’s sluggish recovery, Mr Mathieu added: “Growth this year has been modest, but that is what consolidating a step change looks like: the increase since 2024 has been confirmed. We have structurally increased volumes to Guernsey compared with the previous operation, while volumes to Jersey remain well below where they were two years ago.
“As I said when we took responsibility for Guernsey’s routes in 2025, this is a long-term commitment – and also a long-term partnership.”
