The most notable rise in ferry passengers continues to be on the St Malo route, where numbers surged by 66% in May alone (an increase of 6,407 people) and are up 64% year-on-year. This growth is largely attributed to Brittany Ferries’ revised schedule, which now includes convenient day-trip sailings from St Malo, along with enhanced promotional efforts by VisitGuernsey across Brittany and Normandy.

In contrast, a decline in passenger numbers from Jersey is largely due to limited service availability earlier in the year. However, this trend is expected to reverse following the launch of the Islands Unlimited service on 5 June, which now provides daily sailings between Guernsey and Jersey.

Meanwhile, efforts continue behind the scenes to grow cruise tourism. Sixty-four cruise ships are scheduled to visit this summer, and discussions are ongoing with several major operators to attract larger vessels and boost passenger volumes from 2026 onwards.

The above factors mean that overall, ferry passenger numbers rose by 5% in May, bringing an additional 1,922 visitors to the island compared to the same month in 2024. This growth strengthens the year-on-year figures, which now show a 4% increase - equivalent to nearly 3,000 more passengers.