Jersey is about to launch a Visit Safe Charter, designed to promote the island as a safe destination – and it’s exactly the kind of marketing tool the island’s hospitality industry needs right now, says Simon Soar of the Jersey Hospitality Association.
‘It’s been something that we’ve been desperate to get off the ground, but the Visit Safe Charter is about to be rolled out, and it’s going to change the way we market Jersey to visitors.
‘We’ve been working closely with Visit Jersey and the government to create the initiative, which will offer reassurance to anyone thinking of visiting our island. It will help push consumer confidence, public confidence, government confidence and business confidence, that everyone is adhering to the highest standards of safety.
‘When hospitality businesses sign up, they will be subject to spot checks. It’s all about making sure that required standards are being met, in terms of minimising the risk of spreading infection, and making sure the correct procedure are in place. As a hospitality business, you have to be asking yourself, are your procedures are good as they can be during this period?
‘The one thing people are looking for is confidence that where they are travelling to is somewhere that puts a priority on safety. Our border testing is fantastic – we’ve got less than one case of Covid-19 per 1,500 tests. The people testing positive have been looked after. All this inspires confidence, and Visit Safe builds on that and packages it up into what will hopefully be an effective marketing tool.
‘If you can expect a level of safety, that means you can come here, get away from the troubles elsewhere, and properly enjoy your holiday. That’s the message we want to get out there and Visit Safe will help us do that.’