£13m self-catering plan is ‘a positive vote of confidence’

£13m self-catering plan is ‘a positive vote of confidence’

Keith Beecham said this week’s unveiling of plans by The Bosdet Foundation for 60 new self-catering units at its Les Ormes site in St Brelade was the latest in a series of announcements over the past year that show faith in the recovery of the sector following decades of decline.

And, although he said there was still ‘plenty’ of work to do, Mr Beecham said Visit Jersey and its partners, including airlines, ferry companies and local accommodation providers and attractions, were beginning to make a difference to visitor numbers.

Under the £13-million plans for Les Ormes – described as the biggest tourism development in Jersey this century – the site would be transformed into a ‘world-class’ resort, with a 66% increase in capacity, a car-free centre and greater accommodation flexibility for the increasing number of multi-generational families wanting to visit.

If approved, the work would be carried out in three stages from 2020 to 2023 and would mean the foundation, which reinvests all profits back into Les Ormes or gives them to charity, can donate £1m a year to local good causes by 2030.

Jersey’s first trampoline park, Jump Jersey, is also due to open at Les Ormes in July.

Mr Beecham said Visit Jersey would be supporting the development plans when they were formally lodged with the Planning Department for approval.

‘We see this as an important addition to the accommodation stock in the Island,’ he said. ‘Normally I am being interviewed about the loss of accommodation in Jersey, so it is great to be able to talk about addition to the stock.

‘If we think about last year, with the introduction of the Premier Inn, we had a growth in hotel bed stock for the first time in many, many years and with this plan, and we know Premier Inn have ambitions for a second site in St Helier, these are very encouraging signs that tourism is on the up.

‘We still have a lot of work to do, but I think we are, with our partners, beginning to make a difference to visitor numbers.’

Last year the total number of visitors to the Island was 725,000, up 3% on the previous year. Total visitor spend increased even further, and was up 10% to £268m.

Mr Beecham, whose organisation has set itself the ambitious task of attracting one million visitors, spending £500 million annually, to Jersey by 2030, said over the past year the Seymour Hotel Group, Hotel de France, Dolan Group and now Les Ormes had all made major investments.

‘It is a really positive vote of confidence in Jersey’s tourism industry,’ he said.

‘This is part of a very positive trend – we are beginning to see the confidence re-establish itself in the visitor economy.

‘We have seen a number of years of growth [in visitor numbers] as opposed to the last two decades of decline and I think we are in a positive place, where companies and organisations such as The Bosdet Foundation are making these very significant investments.

‘This is indicative of a more positive environment and it is also responding to visitor needs.’

There are currently around 10,800 registered visitor beds in Jersey, excluding currently unregistered ones such as Airbnbs. Of that total, 1,200 are self-catering, but Mr Beecham said there was clearly a market for more.

‘Consumers are demanding the 1,200 we have got, so businesses are reacting to that demand and it is great to see that we are not falling behind,’ he said.

‘The ambition for Les Ormes is to be a world-class resort centre that is as good as other places and I think that is really important for Jersey that we have quality tourism experiences and quality accommodation.’

He added that the demographic of visitors was ‘spreading out’ from the traditionally older market of ‘eight or nine years ago’, with more families, including multi-generational groups, visiting, and a wider mix of ages – particularly in the shoulder months.

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