Travel links review ‘should consider cost to families’

Economic Development president Charles Parkinson wants the issue considered in the Policy & Resources review of sea and air links now under way, although he acknowledged it was a difficult issue to solve.

‘In general, if you book far enough ahead it’s not terribly expensive compared to rail travel in the UK or anything else comparable. The situations I do feel sorry for are families, for example, who are effectively compelled to travel at half term when, of course, there are very, very few cheap seats available,’ said Deputy Parkinson.

‘Of course, we hear the complaints that for a family of four it costs £1,000 or something to go away – and I do feel concerned about that. There is a review of air and sea links and that may shed some light on this.’

The issue was more of a social policy concern, said Deputy Parkinson, as economically Guernsey benefitted from locals spending their money on-island rather than travelling away.

For air operators, for example, concentrated periods of travel such as half terms were difficult because people all wanted to travel out on the first weekend – which meant the returning plane was ‘half-empty’.

‘One reason ticket prices are higher is because effectively you’re having to pay for both directions,’ said Deputy Parkinson.

‘Obviously we’ve had five or six years of austerity. I genuinely understand for a lot of people it’s hurting. There are a lot of people who haven’t had a real pay increase for many years, and the cost of living has risen.

‘So finding discretionary sums of money like the cost of holidays is getting really, really hard. I don’t dismiss those concerns at all. I understand why people are very agitated about it.

‘You can solve the problem by throwing taxpayers’ money at it but then, of course, you’re simply passing on the cost to everyone else and you have to ask how fair that is.’

Travel operators’ reactions

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