The Tourism Management Board has published its Framework for the Visitor Economy.
The framework outlines strategic aims for the industry, which include extending the season to maximise the shoulder months, continuing to improve data to better understand the value of tourism to the economy, and encouraging investment from both the States of Guernsey and the industry itself.
Long-term objectives are included in the framework and broken down into three categories; Productivity, Competitiveness and Stewardship.
Productivity
This category includes lengthening the season from the traditional April-September to generate year-round value, increasing collaboration across the industry, targeting younger and multi-generational visitor groups, and increase the average length of stay and spend.
Competitiveness
This category includes safeguarding our bed stock, improving our tourism product, ensuring air and sea links provide capacity and capability, value for money and reliability, and providing an industry-wide excellent visitor experience.
Stewardship
This category includes investing in, and promoting, Guernsey’s unique heritage, develop, promote and enable sport events and Guernsey’s arts and culture offering, and consider other growth areas such as visiting yachts.
The framework also includes short-term aims and actions for 2024-2025; such as industry collaboration to ensure that tourism products and services align with the wants and needs of our target audience, recognising the importance of events-led tourism and exploit opportunities, ensuring that our air and sea links align with the needs of our target audience, and managing product development funding to support those private enterprises that demonstrate they can match our strategic aims.
Hannah Beacom (pictured), Chair of the Tourism Management Board (TMB), said: “The Tourism Management Board was created to bring tourism industry stakeholders together to represent all corners of this sector. During 2023 we took the time to understand the challenges that Guernsey is facing and to talk to a wide range of stakeholders so that we can set out strategic solutions for tourism growth that we believe are achievable. The Bailiwick of Guernsey provides a unique tourism
experience with an abundance of natural beauty, stunning coastlines and a rich heritage.
“With a clear brand, and selective development, Guernsey can start to differentiate itself and become a core UK and European short break destination. With this framework we will meet our visitors’ expectations of an excellent visitor experience.
“The framework the TMB has published today is not a silver bullet, but provides a recommended direction of travel that we hope the industry and States can get
behind, as it needs a total team effort if we’re to maximise our tourism offer.”
Deputy Simon Vermeulen, Member of the Committee for Economic Development who sits on the TMB, said: “Guernsey’s tourism industry is integral to our island. Our rich and diverse culture and heritage provides an attractive proposition for visitors. Following global turbulence and factors beyond our control it is time to reset and maximise our opportunity in the tourism sector.
“This new framework reminds us how lucky we are to have the tourism offering that we do, how important the visitor economy is to our Bailiwick and what we need to do together to cement tourism as a thriving industry for the future. Competition is fierce and increasingly destinations are investing in their tourism offering, finding new and innovative ways to make themselves sustainable for the future. Now is the time for the States and private sector to come together to do the same for the Bailiwick.”
