Self-catering owners plan for worst scenario

Pent-up tourist demand and the fact that many units are remaining as long lets under a temporary exemption has led to big demand for tourist self-catering units.

But that has also caused stress and careful planning for the owners, as they gear up for when travel restrictions change.

From tomorrow, double vaccinated adults from within the Common Travel Area do not need to test or isolate on arrival, but 12- to 17-year-olds travelling with them will have to test on arrival and self-isolate until they test negative.

Matt Wilcox runs The Bay Apartments at Pembroke. Its six units are nearly fully booked all summer, with most being on a seven-night basis.

He said as soon as he heard that 12- to 17-year-olds would need to be tested if they arrived with vaccinated parents, he was worried.

‘We are full up and everywhere is full up,’ he said.

‘I am just worried that if this [someone tests positive on arrival] does happen, where do the people go?’

He said there was limited supply this year, with some establishments choosing to do long lets instead.

Mr Wilcox was worried that he would need to keep a group on after their booking, which would then have knock-on effects for future bookings, but he had not been able to get clear guidance from Public Health.

There was also the worry that the rooms would need an extra deep clean, if a positive person used it for self-isolating.

Guernsey Self-Catering is opening up three of its sites to tourists this year – Ilex Lodge, Le Douit and La Bellieuse.

Manager Sandra Berry said it had taken the decision to take only people who would not need to self-isolate.

That meant it could not take teenagers, unvaccinated adults or those from outside the UK.

Ordinarily during the summer holidays families would make up nearly all its trade.

‘I’m being cautious,’ Miss Berry said.

‘As a business we have to take into account the risks.’

One flat is being kept back in case a booking overruns due to self-isolation, as even those that are double vaccinated can catch Covid.

There are also strict cleaning rules in place and social distancing will be enforced.

Miss Berry said the company was still expecting a busy summer, despite the restrictions.

Ellingham self-catering owner Fiona Elliott said it had decided to keep its new Bordeaux site as a long let.

But bookings are being taken for the 12 self-catering units at the Ellingham in St Martin’s.

‘It is very busy,’ she said.

‘We have a lot of guests, who postponed from last year.’

The business did see some cancellations after the relaxation of border measures was restricted to just vaccinated individuals.

But Mrs Elliott said it quickly saw those gaps being filled.

‘The calendar is filling up, although we are keeping some back for flexibility,’ she said.

The establishment has a two-person studio room, which has until recently been used for self-catering travellers.

It was now being kept back in case someone needs to self-isolate and their booking runs over. Mrs Elliott said she was also talking to hotels to plan what could happen in the worst case scenario.

The pandemic is creating a lot of extra work for the business, with extra cleaning and a quarantine period for any shared board games in lets.

Mrs Elliott said all possible precautions were being taken.