Thursday, a public holiday in France, should bring 750 car and foot passengers to the island from St Malo, which will be almost double the previous highest number of visitors recorded for a single day and the ferry firm said its bookings indicated a busy weekend on the way.
‘It is fantastic to see a record set so early in the season,’ said Paul Acheson, commercial director of Brittany Ferries.
‘Even more encouraging is the consistent growth across the summer. Our data indicates visitors are not just travelling here on day trips, rather they are staying for longer, which is obviously a boost for the local hospitality and tourism sectors. In partnership with VisitGuernsey, we have been actively promoting direct services and improved frequency in Europe and UK, deploying a mix of TV, direct mail and online marketing.’
The company said passenger traffic from France continued to grow, with foot passengers from France 191% up on last year and overall forward bookings 123% ahead. VisitGuernsey is providing live music to greet visitors on their arrival at the harbour on Thursday.
‘We are absolutely delighted to welcome so many passengers from France – it’s a great reflection of Guernsey’s appeal,’ said Zoe Gosling, lead marketing officer at the States.
‘We’ve worked hard ahead of the season to make our French visitors feel welcome, including increasing French-language signage and posters around the harbour.’
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