New hospitality group backs runway extension
A LONGER airport runway would benefit Guernsey when the global air travel industry recovers from the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the president of a new hospitality body has said.
The Guernsey Hospitality Association held an inaugural lunch meeting yesterday, during which president Alan Sillett set out some of its goals.
One of its five core aims, which it calls the building blocks of recovery, is further exploration of the extension of the Guernsey Airport runway.
This would ensure the island was ready for when the air travel industry bounced back, as it would do, said Mr Sillett: ‘In the not too distant past it has recovered from major setbacks like 9/11 and the financial crash, and one day it will return to some sort of normality. When it does, in possibly two to three years’ time, we need to be ready when it is starting, not when it has already taken off.
‘There will be pent-up demand. The opportunities for tourism will be there and we need to make them count.’
The GHA also believed lower air fares would help revitalise tourism by encouraging more people to visit friends and family.
And it backed the open skies policy: ‘It has played its part and as a group we firmly believe this policy should not be reversed,’ said Mr Sillett.
Another of the GHA’s building blocks is to see the relaxation of the population management law brought in by the States last term.
This policy was led by Home Affairs, a new member of which, Deputy Simon Vermeulen, also spoke at the lunch, and told guests that he was also tourism lead on Economic Development.
Home Affairs president Rob Prow and Economic Development president Neil Inder, along with a number of other deputies, including the chief minister, were also present.
‘Whilst these are probably some of the toughest times the sector has had in recent years, it’s wonderful to see you all united and stronger than ever,’ said Deputy Vermeulen.
He believed there was an opportunity for a new dawn for the industry and a chance to look afresh at what was working and not working, and at what opportunities existed to enable it to thrive and build back better post-Covid-19.
The new States had said it will work more collectively as a government: ‘We will listen and work together to establish the best economic environment to encourage growth in the sector.
‘Without further ado, let’s get this sector going,’ he said.
Mr Sillett said the GHA would ask the States not to follow the potential line of the UK government in granting permits to incomers only if they were going to be in a job earning at least £30,000.
‘Shouldn’t we be treating everyone who works here as essential, all of the time?’ he said.
‘All job roles are important.’
The tourism sector was still fairly labour intensive, he said, and some of the most important workers were people like kitchen porters: ‘When we’ve been without a kitchen porter it’s been a nightmare for the operation,’ he said, referring to the hotel he and his wife run, The Duke of Normandie.
‘The role is absolutely essential for hospitality.’
The GHA hoped to meet Economic Development and other key committees to discuss the challenges that lay ahead, said Mr Sillett.
