6
Our history and heritage
Brittany Ferries was born out of a wish to open up and connect
the relatively isolated region of Brittany. As early as 1967, the
company’s dynamic president and founder, Alexis Gourvennec
began to lay the foundations and by 1972, this plan led to the
creation of BAI (Bretagne-Angleterre-Irlande), a company with a
mission to transport Brittany’s vegetables across the Channel.
In 1974, foreseeing the advent of mass cross-channel passenger
travel, particularly by the British, BAI adopted the name Brittany
Ferries and by 1978, Brittany Ferries became a tour operator.
Today, Brittany Ferries is the leading sea transporter on the
Western and Central Channel, and is still the largest employer of
French seafarers. Every one of its ships proudly flies the French
flag. Thanks to strong partnerships nurtured over the years, the
company plays a major part in the social and economic growth
of the Atlantic regions it serves.
Artichokes growing in Brittany
