Brittany Ferries’ first season sees 28% increase in travel over 2024

• Combined UK and French numbers up 28.9% year-on-year April to August
• UK-Guernsey passenger numbers 20.6% ahead in August 2025 and 9% overall
• Sailings from St Malo up by 59.2% v. 2024, April to August
• Mix of day trippers and longer stays benefitting tourism in Guernsey
• Improved frequency, direct routings and marketing the Bailiwick jointly with Visit Guernsey cited for the success

Just six months into its new 15-year contract with the States of Guernsey, Brittany Ferries has confirmed that almost a third more passengers have travelled to and from the Bailiwick compared to the same period in 2024.

Latest figures show that passenger carryings on the company’s direct services from Poole, Portsmouth and St Malo combined, for the period 1 April to 31 August, are up by 38,522 – an increase of 28.9% compared with last year. The most notable growth is from St Malo, where traffic is up by 59.2% and Guernsey’s share of the Channel Islands’ market has risen to more than 40% compared with just a fifth in 2024. 

Christophe Mathieu, Chief Executive of Brittany Ferries, commented:

“It is fantastic to see this improvement compared to last year and encouraging that the growth has been consistent across the whole of this summer. The anticipated rise in visitor numbers – along with longer stays – is delivering clear economic benefits, not just for Guernsey but for the wider Bailiwick. 

“Our new direct schedule, with improved timings and more frequent sailings, have been well received by our customers and we are grateful for the support of Visit Guernsey in jointly marketing the Bailiwick.”

Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, President of the Committee for Economic Development, said:

"It is incredibly positive to see such strong growth in ferry passengers across all routes, bringing more than 38,500 visitors to Guernsey, with a particularly large uplift in the number of people travelling to and from St Malo. This is not only very good news for Guernsey’s tourism industry, but it also has had, and will have, positive impacts on a
variety of other sectors and the wider Bailiwick. 

The Committee for Economic Development is very keen to develop stronger links with Brittany and France and we will be looking at a number of different opportunities in this area, from trade and food imports to continuing to build on the new success we are seeing in the tourism market. This week, I am travelling to St Malo for a number of meetings to kick-start some of this work, and I am excited to see what comes of it."

M. Mathieu added: “It is clear that more and more visitors are opting for sea travel as part of their holiday experience. “To help with forward planning by passengers and our trade partners, an almost identical schedule for next year was launched back in July and is available up to 02 November 2026.”