Ferry firm’s plan to sail to ‘green list’ Portugal deserves to succeed

BRITTANY Ferries may be a Frenchowned business. But for many holidaymakers here in the South West it is a much-loved institution. The proportion of people from Devon and Cornwall who make use of its services in a normal year, crossing to Roscoff from Plymouth or cruising down to Santander in Spain, is significant.

That’s one reason why – given the huge pressures that travel restrictions have brought about – we heartily welcome the company’s plan to operate a new route to the one easily accessible country on the UK’s coronavirus green list – Portugal.

With France and Spain both currently classed as ‘amber’ – meaning periods of quarantine for returning visitors – Portugal could be one of the big draws this summer. And the northern city of Porto on the Douro river, where Brittany Ferries plans to sail, looks to be a superb destination for a break, with the added attraction for football fans that it will host the Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea.

While we have airports at Newquay and Exeter and a rail service that is improving by degrees, travel and transport still throws up the kind of issues for South West dwellers that people in many other parts of the country simply don’t have to worry about. Having a ferry port that gives comfortable access to mainland Europe right here in Plymouth is a massive benefit. In normal times Brittany Ferries flourishes as a result.

That is why the impact of coronavirus on the company is so devastating. Brittany Ferries had been investing significantly in its fleet, become much more environmentally-friendly and building on its success, both on the routes from Plymouth and those from Portsmouth and Poole as well. Regular travellers as well as those who benefit from traffic coming in the other direction, from France and Spain into the Westcountry, feared for the company’s future when dire news about plunging profits emerged.

The plan to start sailing to a completely new destination in very short order demonstates a nimble approach which does the Brittany Ferries bosses great credit. Coronavirus and the lockdowns that have followed have made many businesses think outside the box. Brittany Ferries has continued to operate mainly freight services through the pandemic but the lucrative holiday market has been all but closed off. Sailings from Plymouth to Portugal, with services starting as early as this month, could make a big difference to the company’s prospects.

This is not the first time Brittany Ferries has considered a route fromPlymouth to Portugal. Decades ago its then boss David Longden held talks with civic leaders in another port town up the coast from Porto, Viana Do Castelo but concluded there was insufficient demand from passengers.

That’s changed dramatically and not just as a result of the pandemic. There is something particularly appealing to the Westcountry traveller about being able to take car and even caravan to Europe and the more destinations available, after the pandemic is over, the better. We hope, for the sake of the future of the Plymouth ferry port and for Brittany Ferries, this venture is a success.