French visitors 'transformational' for Guernsey

President of Economic Development Sasha Kazentseva-Miller said there had been improvements to both sea and air links to France

Building stronger trade and tourism links with France is a key priority for Economic Development.

The committee has been actively engaging in trade facilitation, with five trade missions already held this year and more planned.

Sasha Kazentseva-Miller, president of Economic Development (ED), said there had been improvements to both sea and air links to France through the new contract with Brittany Ferries and the launch of a new air route to Paris.

"Seeing thousands more French visitors this year has been transformational. I really hope Guernsey can learn to "parler francais" a little bit more next year," she said.

The new contract with Brittany Ferries was described as "good" by the president of ED.

She said passenger figures across all routes were up nearly 30%, while traffic between Saint-Malo and Guernsey is up 59% after just six months.

Additionally, passenger numbers through the Manche-Ile-Express increased by more than 13%, with more than 18,000 passenger movements between Dielette, St Peter Port, Sark and Jersey.

In terms of air routes, in April 2024 a direct flight to Paris was launched and supported by route development funding.

Deputy Katentseva-Miller said: "Sea and air connectivity are inherently intertwined and support our tourism and retail offering. I am pleased that Deputy Van Katwyk with his experience in both sectors will be leading on this work."