Jersey’s Chief Minister has slammed DFDS’s performance as the island’s ferry operator – stating that the level of service delivered to date “falls short of what was promised”.
Deputy Lyndon Farnham issued a statement this evening in response to a letter from the Jersey Hospitality Association.
He said: “We fully recognise the concerns raised by the hospitality industry and the wider public regarding DFDS’s performance as the island’s ferry operator.
“The level of service delivered to date, particularly the decision to withdraw the UK fast ferry over winter, falls short of what was promised and what islanders and visitors expect.”
It comes after DFDS this week revealed that it will “temporarily pause” its high-speed Poole sailings between November and April 30 due to “lower passenger numbers during the winter season”.
The Chief Minister said the Government is “treating this matter with urgency”.
“We have escalated our concerns to DFDS at the highest level and are demanding immediate clarity and improved delivery,” he added.
Deputy Farnham said the Government is also reviewing the current funding provided to Visit Jersey to ensure the tourism board has “the support it needs to deliver high-impact marketing and respond to difficult market conditions”.
He said: “The visitor economy is a vital part of Jersey’s broader economic landscape.
“We remain fully committed to supporting the industry and will continue to work to ensure that transport links, affordability, and destination marketing are of a high standard.”
DFDS was named as the Jersey’s preferred ferry operator by the Government last December following the collapse of a pan-island tender process.
The operator began sailings in March, with services to France initially disrupted by a technical problem with one of its fast ferries, Tarifa Jet.
The lift on its fast ferry to the UK, Levante Jet, also broke, particularly affecting passengers with reduced mobility.
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