Another economic gamble
CONTINUED inertia over inter-island ferry services for this coming summer has left a gap in the market which is ripe for a disruptor.
However the Committee for Economic Development’s decision to invest £150,000 in a start-up operator to run the Guernsey-Jersey route in summer 2025 has to be seen as a real opportunity, but also one which is likely to need a lot of effort to come off.
Hopefully Guernsey people and visitors will be keen to use the service. But equally Economic Development and/or Islands Unlimited need to do all they can to get people coming the other way.
The Guernsey Economic Development Committee is not supposed to spend taxpayers’ money to boost St Helier’s shops, restaurants and hotels.
The pressure will also be on the ferry company. Seed funding to get the operation going in year one is one thing, but it’s highly unlikely that this support can, or should, continue year-on-year.
This summer now presents sport with a great sunshine opportunity to deliver inter-island fixtures and spectator opportunities at a reasonable cost which must be seized upon.
But it’s not a perfect solution by any means. There won’t be any cars carried, while Alderney should also be lobbying hard to see whether they can secure a stake in this service, particularly when the ‘big boys’ are going inter-island.
This is an opportunity – but it’s also a gamble from Economic Development.