At a time when the hospitality industry is struggling more than ever, people continue to have unrealistic, and unreasonable, expectations when it comes to the price of staycations in Jersey, says Simon Soar of the Jersey Hospitality Association.
‘It’s no secret that hospitality is struggling right now. We’ve never needed the support of islanders more. Yet it astounds me just how many people don’t want to pay the full value for the products and services we provide.
‘“Staycations in Jersey are too expensive,” “It costs too much to go out,” – this is the feedback we hear a lot. People want cheap. They want food and drink and accommodation at dirt-cheap prices, and it’s a wholly unrealistic and unreasonable demand.
‘Hospitality isn’t just here to serve. Businesses need to cover costs and try to make a profit, all while dealing with circumstances that have resulted in forced closure, job losses, and reduced capacity – not to mention the unprecedented drop in visitor numbers.
‘And people still want to moan about the price of a pint?
‘Hospitality businesses can’t keep slashing prices when it does not have the volume. People might say, “Oh, I can get a beer in Wetherspoons for such and such a price,” but a nationwide chain like Wetherspoons goes through an enormous amount of volume, which allows it to sell at a cheap price.
‘We are a seasonal industry and we have to make a certain amount of money in the summer to survive through the rest of the year. Now pubs are offering seated service only, social distancing means the capacity of restaurants is at a minimum. How exactly are businesses expected to offer the cut-price products that people seem to expect?
‘If you want a thriving and diverse hospitality industry, you have be willing to pay for it, and you have to use it and support it – use it or lose it, as they saying goes.’