DIVERSIFYING the type of accommodation available to holidaymakers would provide a boost to the tourism industry, according to Visit Jersey.
Meryl Laisney, the company’s head of marketing and product, said the organisation remained cautiously optimistic about this year’s visitor numbers and had welcomed recent proposals for alternative seasonal accommodation. Her comments came after plans were submitted to build five glamping yurts in a field in St Ouen’s Bay which, if approved, would operate from 1 April until 30 September.
The proposals have been lodged by Jersey Organic Yurts, which is hoping to build the accommodation, while also providing visitors with the opportunity to undertake activities such as yoga and bird watching.
The company already erects yurts for weddings and other events, but is hoping to expand their operation.
If approved, the yurts, which are made from natural materials, would be built in field O1585, which is east of Chemin du Moulin and north-west of Mont Mattieu.
Mrs Laisney said: ‘We remain cautiously optimistic for the upcoming summer season, with pent-up demand for travel. Since the further easing of restrictions, our travel companies are reporting a bounce back in bookings.
‘It’s positive to see recent applications for a variety of tourism accommodation which will provide a real boost for tourism and shows confidence in the sector. As we look to promote the growth of Jersey’s tourism industry year round, increased accommodation supply will help to improve productivity within the visitor economy.’
A design statement submitted to the planning website by Origin Architecture Studio on behalf of Jersey Organic Yurts said: ‘The illustrative details of this application propose four yurts to be used for visitor accommodation located around a larger centrally placed yurt to be used as an activity centre or venue.
‘The yurt stays and associated supporting accommodation of welfare facilities providing water, showering and toilets alongside cooking facilities and a solar-power collector will be brought to site in component form, erected and then run for a limited summer period of the year before being taken down and removed from site.
‘The yurt stays will run for a minimum of six summer months of the year and allow visitors to get under the skin of Jersey’s local culture and environment, away from conventional and much outdated tourist routes and available tours.
‘The re-use and repurposing of this site allows the potential for the re-use of a currently redundant and historically unfarmed piece of land, generates significant environmental benefits in ecological biodiversity and horticultural diversification providing economic development within the tourism industry to boost the local economy without any long-term damage to the site or character of the Coastal National Park area.’
