The current ferry service between Newhaven and Dieppe is operated by the company DFDS under a contract with the French authorities which runs until December 2027.
The route is used by nearly 410,000 passengers a year, including more than 380,000 tourists, according to the Syndicat Mixte de Promotion de l’Activité Transmanche (SMPAT) which owns and subsidises it.
A record-breaking 1.2 million people used the service in 1993, a year before the Channel Tunnel’s opening.
SMPAT managing director Francois Bellouard said French authorities were now promoting the ferry to students so they could enjoy places like Newhaven Fort and the Seven Sisters.
The exhibition is open from Thursday to Sunday, until 1 November.
