A TASKFORCE of industry professionals should be formed to help Jersey recapture the vibrancy of its tourism heyday, a leading events organiser has said.
Weekender Festival founder Warren Le Sueur said that too often experts in the sector were not involved in discussions about how to re-energise Jersey’s night-time and events economy.
He added that a ‘collaborative group’ of industry professionals could help to drive forward improvements for tourism, events and hospitality.
Next weekend, Jersey’s biggest music festival, Weekender, will reopen its gates at the Royal Jersey Showground in Trinity after a two-year Covid-enforced hiatus, with the likes of Stereophonics, the Jacksons and Sam Ryder due to perform.
And Mr Le Sueur said he hoped that the new government would see the value of events to the economy.
‘A lot of people can see the direction the Island is heading in. You go to other places – cities in the UK – and there is a vibrancy that Jersey is missing. Jersey used to have it but there doesn’t appear to be anyone to say “this is the direction we need to go in”.
‘If there was a collaborative group formed that could become like a lobby group for events and hospitality to put forward ideas, then that would make a difference. There are people here [within government] who have got the best intentions to make the Island a better place but I don’t think there is a vehicle for those people to be able to be constructive and positively listened to, to be able to make a difference at the moment.
‘I don’t feel that myself and people around me, other people who run events, get consulted much by ministers or chief officers. We’re here – they can call on our experience and get honest consultative advice that can help them deliver in this area. We know what the demands are and we know what is needed. People sitting in offices don’t always know what is needed but we see it and feel it.
‘Jersey as a whole has lost that tourism aspect that it used to be known for. In the earlier days it was more acceptable that events could go on but now people are too quick to complain about things like noise and trying to please everybody is a huge challenge in itself. I use that word again – vibrancy – and Jersey has lost a lot of that. I do think it can come back but it needs a few people to be singing from the same hymn sheet to make it work.’
Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel, who has responsibility for tourism, said that the foundations for a new tourism strategy were already in place and that he was keen to consult industry representatives to ask how to move it forward.
He said: ‘A direction was created and has been presented to me which is effectively the foundations towards building a tourism strategy. I haven’t been able to go to the sector to find out what their views are on it, but I want to talk to the sector to see if it is something they can work with.
‘It is only the foundations at this stage but there is a piece of work there and we are going to pick it up in the coming month or so.’
