VisitGuernsey to keep using specialist PR

COMMERCE and Employment will continue to use a specialist PR agency to help promote Guernsey.

Spending in all departments has come under increased scrutiny with the results of Tribal Helm's fundamental spending review set to be released on October.

But the department does not believe it could fully handle the promotional work in-house and has again gone out to tender for help.

'The travel and tourism industry is vast, fast-moving and highly competitive,' said a Commerce and Employment marketing and tourism spokesman.

'The editorial media in this area - print, broadcast and online - are constantly changing. Only a specialist travel/tourism PR agency can maintain the level of contacts required to handle VisitGuernsey promotion objectives.'

Most destinations use specialist services, he said.

The work has traditionally concentrated on attracting quality travel writers from the UK to visit the island and ensuring that leads to coverage.

'The best results are achieved from being well connected with travel editors as well freelancers who call "sell in" commissions across newspapers, glossies, regional press and broadcast media,' he said.

'It would take years for any in-house staff to develop the necessary press relationships and gain the trust of these journalists/editors and producers which a good agency already possesses. The skills of our experienced team are best served managing and facilitating such a contract.'

But the work could, to a degree, be done in-house, he said. That option had been considered, but rejected,