By Julia Hands, Chairman and Chief Executive, Hand Picked Hotels
What is the future for tourism in the Channel Islands in 2017? This year will be one of the most difficult to predict, in the face of unprecedented change worldwide. However, what is known is that the biggest challenge facing the UK, Channel Islands and Europe is Brexit.
According to the Tourism Alliance, which represents all the major tourism bodies, as a result of the Brexit vote we will see a boom in staycations, generating an additional £2.4bn in revenue from tourism.
A huge rise in visitors from abroad, driven by the falling pound, has already been experienced in the UK since the summer. Weak sterling has also made overseas holidays more expensive for Britons.
Islands' attractions
One thing is certain in these uncertain times – the Channel Islands will continue to be an appealing haven for visitors.
Both Jersey and Guernsey offer the best of both worlds – with all the emotional touchpoints of a staycation but with each of the islands offering its own character, influences and atmosphere. Tourism experts and operators, hoteliers and restaurateurs are working hard to capture these magical ingredients and promote them.
Natural beauty, island-hopping, excellent seafood and local produce, stunning coastlines and beaches, heritage, flora and fauna and walking are the most common reasons to visit the islands.
Creative ideas are being used to package these attractions to appeal to new audiences, including young families and more affluent visitors from the UK and also from France and Germany and elsewhere in Europe, with the added incentive of the weak pound.
Cruise liners are also providing an increasing number of day visitors, with a boost to visitor attractions, restaurants, bars and retail. It’s vital that the islands are able to deal with sudden influxes of tourists, with sufficient levels of public transport and taxis running to enable the visitors to explore the islands.
Looking back, 2016 was mainly positive for tourism. Jersey reported the highest number of holidaymakers for more than a decade – 66,000 holidaymakers visited the island in the first three months of the year, the second year of a sustained increase in tourists in the off-peak season.
Visitor incentives
Looking forward to this year, it’s good to see that Visit Guernsey and Visit Jersey have full programmes to drive visitors, highlighting reasons to visit, promoting food and literary festivals and events to reach special-interest audiences.
They showcase the best the islands have to offer, as well as emphasising the potential from wellbeing, driving business tourism and encouraging the meetings and events industry to increase business on the islands.
Indeed, for 2017, one of the most exciting opportunities for both islands is wellness tourism, which is predicted to grow by nine per cent and is worth more than £300bn globally.
Activity breaks, healthy eating with local produce, spa offerings, and a safe and stress-free environment in a naturally beautiful setting, are already providing a focus of attention among operators on both Guernsey and Jersey.
Business tourism also has great potential for the islands, with both offering great places for business awaydays and conferences for UK-based businesses, particularly with flights now available from more regional airports. Plans by the tourism bodies to target meetings and events operators could give hotels and restaurants a significant boost this year.