“We have just had the figures for the first half of the year released to us and Visit Jersey is reporting some positive news in several areas. This is something we are very happy to hear, and clearly hope this will be continuing for the foreseeable future.
Despite concerns over staffing, supply of goods etc etc, we must also focus on the fact that its positive to see growth after so many years of decline. The on island spend from locals isn’t as it used to be, with the weeknight culture being a shadow of its former self. This means that we rely more and more on the visiting numbers to help provide a stable income for the local businesses.
The industry isn’t as it used to be either, with taxes, duties, rents etc etc going up considerably above inflation year on year. This leads to smaller profit margins, yet we still retain all the vibrant businesses we enjoy, putting hard time and effort into providing world class service.
Its clear from the visitors we have travelling here to enjoy the food and drink culture as the primary reason for their trip, that we have a scene worth shouting about. If you go to any city in UK, you will find a lot of good venues, but it becomes more and more difficult to find small boutique independent venues, of which we have a majority share on island.
I strongly hope that we continue to see a rise in numbers visiting Jersey. I will continue to strive to solve the issues our industry face, and with all of this working in harmony together, in 5 years time, we could be in a lovely strong position, once the fallout from Brexit has settled and the value of Jersey is seen by both those to the north and south of us.”
Simon Soar, CEO, Jersey Hospitality Association
