With the borders closed until at least early next month, the industry is expecting to take just a fraction of the £280 million brought in through tourism last year.
It has left many restaurants, attractions and hotels in difficult financial positions. However with hotels allowed to open their doors today as the Island moves to Level Two of its lockdown exit strategy, Visit Jersey is preparing to roll out a campaign to encourage people to take staycations.
And in a press conference yesterday, Economic Development Minister Lyndon Farnham issued a rallying call to Islanders to help support the hospitality industry. (Full story: Page 5.)
Visit Jersey chief executive Keith Beecham (pictured below) acknowledged that a successful campaign would not salvage the whole of a normal tourism season for the Island but could be vital to the future of the industry.
He said: ‘Last year we had 770,000 visitors to the Island bringing in £280 million, and going into 2020 we were expecting another good year, and then Covid struck.
‘We are facing three winters and we need to do something to change that, because by our calculations from last year the tourism industry is losing about £500 a minute at the moment.
‘It is a big challenge but in the next few weeks we will be launching our campaign to appeal to people with a simple message: “explore Jersey from home”.
‘There are so many things on people’s doorsteps that they have never been to,’ he said, adding that the campaign would help accommodation providers, restaurants and attractions.
‘They have been hit hard,’ he said.
He added that with many international holidays probably having to be cancelled, as there was still uncertainty as to when flights might return to normal, this summer provided the perfect opportunity to celebrate what was available on Islanders’ doorsteps.
‘It is not going to replace the £280 million from last year, but it will be a step on the way to salvaging some of the summer season,’ he said.
‘It has impacted all businesses, family-owned hotels and beach cafés. These are in Jersey’s DNA and we are appealing to people to support our DNA.’
A number of hotels in the Island are already making staycation offers and the hope is that the new Visit Jersey campaign will help to fill hotels.
The chairman of the Luxury Jersey Hotels group and owner of The Atlantic Hotel, Patrick Burke, added: ‘We are thrilled to bits to be leading the way out of lockdown and have been meeting on a weekly basis throughout the crisis to plan for this moment.
‘The health and safety of our guests and staff is our top priority, and we will be maintaining the highest standards of hygiene as recommended by the Government of Jersey.
‘There has never been a better time to discover our hotels and restaurants and celebrate local.’
Jersey Heritage is also preparing to open some of its historic accommodation buildings today, with off-peak discounts being offered to members.
Heritage lets manager Jo Hepworth said: ‘A number of holiday bookings remain in place from people still planning to visit the Island, which is good news for Jersey’s tourism industry as a whole.
‘We have also had a great deal of interest from Islanders wanting to book a stay and, as a result of this, we are offering greater flexibility for shorter three-night breaks in the properties, which are usually only available for seven-night bookings during the peak summer season.
‘We are keen to look after our Jersey Heritage members, who have remained loyal and supportive over this difficult time, and the 10% discount usually offered to them during off-peak months is also being extended for any bookings taken for this summer.’
Mr Beecham added that when the Island was ready to open borders, the low coronavirus numbers seen in the Channel Islands could make it an appealing destination for tourists.
He added: ‘I think it will be of benefit to us. We are working on campaigns for the UK to advertise Jersey, and for people who might not want to go to other countries but want to come here on a shorter trip.
‘Our sentiment rating is good and we will be pushing our Island break message out.’
