The Jersey Hospitality Association has launched a public ‘Call to Action’ to election candidates, warning that Jersey has reached a defining moment for the future of its Visitor Economy and the wider island economy it supports.
The campaign centres around a new public poster being distributed across the Island ahead of the 2026 election, urging future politicians to recognise that the Visitor Economy is not a side issue, but one of the foundations of Jersey’s long-term resilience, competitiveness and quality of life.
The JHA is calling on future politicians to commit to five major priorities:
- Establish a multi-ministerial Visitor Economy Committee
- Significantly increase destination marketing
- Cut planning and regulatory red tape
- Solve staffing and accommodation pressures
- Back investment and competitiveness
Ana and Marcus Calvani (pictured), Co-CEOs of the Jersey Hospitality Association, said the campaign is deliberately direct because the Visitor Economy affects every islander, every day: “This is no longer just about tourism. This is about the future resilience, competitiveness and connectivity of Jersey itself. Our Visitor Economy helps keep this island connected and supports the wider economy in ways that are still too often underestimated.
“The Visitor Economy delivers far more than direct spend alone. It supports connectivity, quality of life, inward investment, business attraction, employment, culture, retail and community life. A thriving finance industry and a thriving Visitor Economy are not competing priorities, they are complementary parts of a balanced and globally competitive island economy, which is why the Visitor Economy is everyone’s business.”
The JHA says there is growing recognition across Jersey’s wider business community that a strong and vibrant Visitor Economy is for the island’s broader competitiveness and its ability to attract and retain skilled people and investment. However, the Association says meaningful growth cannot be achieved without major structural reform across government.
Ana and Marcus added: “We have had a Minister who has been supportive of the Visitor Economy and important progress has been made in numerous areas such as licensing reform. But one Minister acting alone cannot deliver the scale of change now required. Our industry cuts across almost every part of government including Economic Development, Infrastructure, Social Security, Treasury, Home Affairs and Environment. Yet these areas too often operate in silos. This now requires genuine cross-government responsibility and joined-up leadership.”
The JHA says Jersey urgently needs ‘two parallel routes’ running at the same time:
- Protecting and growing visitor demand through stronger destination marketing, route development and support for existing connectivity.
- Tackling the underlying structural barriers holding businesses back, including excessive costs, planning complexity, labour shortages and housing pressures.
The Association warns that if Jersey fails on either route, the island risks continuing to lose hotel rooms, hospitality businesses and the passenger volumes needed to sustain commercially viable air and sea connectivity.
