THE Chamber of Commerce has backed plans to declare a public holiday for next month’s royal visit, in spite of concerns from some businesspeople about the cost of the move.
Chamber chief executive Murray Norton said the idea of a holiday on 15 July to coincide with the visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla had been raised with him last week and that his organisation was “very supportive”.
“To have a reigning monarch coming to Jersey is a once-in-20-years event and there’s a great deal of interest,” he said. “The King is a patron of the British Chambers of Commerce, to which we are affiliated, and the Lieutenant-Governor is our patron, so we are very supportive.
“There’s been a positive reaction and I think for some sectors, including hospitality, retail and the visitor economy, there could be benefits, especially if the weather is good.
“The King and Queen have only been able to fulfil a small number of engagements recently, so there may be ‘outside’ interest in terms of people coming here to join the celebrations.”
Dominic Jones, director of JP Restaurants, hailed a “lovely idea” on X (formerly Twitter), but predicted that the holiday – if it is approved by the States Assembly next week – would be a loss-making event for many hospitality businesses.
Using a Gross Value Added report issued by Statistics Jersey for 2022, Mr Jones said the day could cost the hospitality sector £500,000, estimating that the overall cost could be £11.5 million – including £2.5m in wages for public sector employees. “So we all pay,” he concluded.
Phil Balderson, director of data specialist firm Continuum, supported Mr Jones’s position, saying: “It’s easy to spend other people’s money when it isn’t yours.”
Gavin Reid, managing director of pub group Randalls, acknowledged that there would be a cost impact on hospitality, but said he also wanted to look on the positive side of the news.
“It’s a pretty rare event, so why not allow people the chance to have a day off so they can appreciate it?” he said.
Mr Reid said there was also a chance of a long weekend of celebration should England – or one of the other teams with a significant following from Island football supporters – reach the final of Euro 2024, which will take place on the evening of Sunday 14 July.
During their visit to the Island, the King and Queen are due to attend a large-scale open-air expo showcasing Jersey at Weighbridge Place and Liberation Square, as well as a special sitting of the States Assembly.
