The drop in attendance is maddening, vertiginous. Since the implementation of Brexit, the tourist traffic of the companies providing the link between France and the British island of Jersey has collapsed. According to the Manche Iles Express company, managed by the Manche department, the drop in the occupancy rate of the boats is between “40 and 80%”. The reason ? The obligation for French nationals to have a passport, even for a one-day visit. On the Channel Island, the decline in tourist activity has obviously been felt.
Identity card will not suffice for Guernsey
In an attempt to put an end to this, the government of Jersey announced on Tuesday the establishment of a pilot system which “will allow French nationals coming for the day via a ferry company, to enter Jersey using their identity card “. The objective is to put this new rule in place “for the summer tourist season this year”, he specifies. A test period should start on April 22 to verify the effectiveness of the device.
The largest Channel Island, Jersey is a British Crown Territory and its nationals have British nationality, but it remains an independent entity with its own government. Administered by a local assembly, the island remains under the tutelage of the United Kingdom for its diplomacy. For the time being, the passport will remain compulsory to go to the neighboring island of Guernsey, which is however facing the same difficulties.