January delivered a strong start to the year for ferry travel, with passenger numbers increasing by 24% compared to January 2024. Notably, the Poole and St Malo routes saw significant growth, rising by 151% and 111%, respectively, while the Jersey route experienced an 18% increase. This growth helped offset a slight decline in air passengers arriving from Jersey during the month.

Overall, the 24% increase in ferry passengers - equating to 960 additional travellers - effectively counterbalanced the 2% decline in air passengers, which accounted for 745 fewer travellers. This resulted in a net increase of 115 arrivals compared to January 2024.

The announcement of Brittany Ferries as the island’s new ferry provider, along with the publication of their schedule - including well-timed services for day trips from St Malo - provided an excellent opportunity for an additional marketing campaign in the Brittany and Normandy regions during January. As a result, we remain optimistic about further passenger growth on the St Malo route as we move into spring and summer.