Pride of Guernsey: Our special welcome 'is vital for tourism'

Luke Wheadon said everybody had a part to play in making visitors feel they were wanted in Guernsey.

'The difference that a good welcome can make is absolutely huge,' he said.

Things like acknowledging people on the cliffs, a taxi driver welcoming people into their cars or a beach kiosk proprietor giving good, helpful and friendly service were good illustrations of what Guernsey was all about.

'I think we tend to do it naturally in Guernsey, but when people go the extra mile to make others feel welcome then it's something very special,' said Mr Wheadon.

'I don't think we celebrate this sort of thing enough, which is why I think the Pride of Guernsey Welcome of the Year Award, sponsored by RefCo, is fantastic.'

He said he would encourage anyone to nominate people they believed went that 'extra mile' to make the holiday experience as good as they could for visitors. 'The difference that a good welcome can make for people is so important and those who work hard to do that are our champions.

'A good welcome adds to the richness and the fabric of Guernsey and I think we should be celebrating the people who do it. In places like Bermuda, tourism is a civic pride and something that's embedded in their culture,' he said.

Nominations could be for individuals, teams or businesses and for things such as hotels, the hospitality industry in general, shops, event organisers, cafes and kiosks, to name just some.

Nominate now who you think deserves the Welcome of the Year Award for our Bailiwick. We will feature all the nominations and, as well as saying a special thank you, you could help them win a prize worth £1,000.

You can use the entry form below or nominate online at our sister website www.prideofguernsey.com, where you will also find stories and details about the other Pride of Guernsey awards.

A public vote will begin in July.