Condor Ferries say the uncertainty as to which company will run ferryboat services in the Channel Islands from next year is having a 'detrimental' effect on the tourism sector.

The current ferry providers, who are majority owned by Brittany Ferries, have come together with Jersey Chamber of Commerce and Jersey Hospitality Association to call for an 'immediate' decision as to which company will have the contract from the end of March 2025. 

Three firms are understood to have bid for the 15 year contract to operate freight and passenger services from Jersey and Guernsey - DFDS, Condor Ferries and Irish Ferries.

The winner was expected to be announcement by Jersey and Guernsey's governments by the end of October.  

That is what Jersey's Economic Development Minister has told the island's States Assembly last month, where he refuted any suggestion the process has been delayed.

This was before however, that Senior Jersey civil servant Richard Corrigan ‘recused himself’ from the tender process for future ferry services, after he was caught voting for DFDS to take over the contract in a public online poll.

READ MORE: Ferry operator announcement could be delayed

We were told though that this would only delay the announcement 'by a few days'.

In a statement, Brittany and Condor ferries claim they were originally informed the contract would be awarded 'by the end of September at the latest' and is now 'nearly a month behind schedule'. 

Due to the uncertain future for the ferry companies, Christophe Mathieu (CEO of Condor and Brittany Ferries) says the visitor economy is already down for next year: 

"Had we been aware of this hold-up, we would have launched our 2025 summer schedule in mid-September to provide some reassurance for Islanders, visitors, those working in the local tourism industry, along with our staff and crew who are enduring a very unsettling time with understandable concerns around their future.

"To put this delay in context: Fifteen percent of anticipated passengers have already booked to travel with Brittany Ferries next summer. That’s because we were able to launch our schedules early, and to start taking reservations a couple of months ago.

"But for the Islands, there have been no bookings and that is a direct consequence of delays and uncertainty in the tender process.

"We worry that those considering a holiday in these beautiful destinations will simply go elsewhere."

Christophe Mathieu

This concern has been echoed by Murray Norton, Chief Executive of the Jersey Chamber of Commerce, who says he's heard the process could face further delays: 

"Jersey Chamber understood the successful tender public announcement was to be made at the very end of September.

"We are hearing this will now possibly be November and consequently there has been a drop in 2025 bookings.

"Chamber has been consistently saying for over four months that it is not in the best interests of the island for our tourism industry to be the collateral damage, due to any delays in this tender process."

Guernsey's Chamber of Commerce have also weighed in on the matter: 

“The Chamber recognises that the thorough due diligence and governance when making significant decisions affecting our community takes time. However, the overdue decision regarding this contract is now impacting business operations on the island.

"A timely resolution is crucial, as local businesses need clarity to make informed plans and investments for the upcoming year.

"We urge all relevant parties to prioritise this matter, ensuring that our business community can move forward with confidence and stability in planning for the future."

Minister for Sustainable Economic Development Kirsten Morel

Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, Deputy Kirsten Morel said:

“We recognise the importance of this decision to all Islanders, and we’re committed to securing a reliable and resilient ferry service for the next decade and beyond.

“We are making an extremely important and complex commercial decision, and we need to get it right. Detailed consideration is being given to the submitted bids and we will be making an announcement very soon.

"In the meantime, Condor has a Service Level Agreement with the Government of Jersey to continue to provide ferry services until the end of March 2025.”

Guernsey's government has been contacted for a comment.