Tourism Partnership welcomes easing of travel restrictions
THE Guernsey Tourism Partnership has welcomed the easing of travel restrictions – as far as they go.
Ant Ford Parker, GTP chairman and owner of Outdoor Guernsey, said the Civil Contingencies Authority’s announcement yesterday that it would be easier for many to travel to Guernsey was good news for the tourism industry.
‘It is all a bit slow but we are encouraged that Guernsey is now more aligned with the UK,’ he said.
‘The easing of restrictions for travellers within and outside the Common Travel Area should mean we can start welcoming tourists in their numbers.'
The GTP had been advocating for the CCA to scrap payments for the lateral flow tests and for improvements to be made to the online Guernsey travel tracker, which was complicated, while the trackers in other jurisdictions, such as Jersey, were simpler and easier to use.
‘The tracker demands the user repeat information already put in and the real sticking point seems to be when the user gets to the payment system of the tracker.
‘The tracker delays people at the airport and it is not a very good first experience for many tourists holidaying in Guernsey.
‘We are disappointed that the CCA is still insisting on payment for the lateral flow tests when these tests are free in other places.
‘However, it would seem, from what was said at the briefing, that the CCA is considering scrapping payment within the next month.
‘That would be very good news for Guernsey’s tourism sector.’
It has been confirmed to the Guernsey Press that changes to travel tracker are in the works and should be made in early October.
Currently the tracker can only be filled in less than 48 hours before travel. This was due to the previous situation, where country and region categories were changed with 48 hours’ notice. But this will not be as relevant going forward, meaning that timescales could also change shortly for when it is filled in.
Mr Ford Parker acknowledged that, while an increase in tourists was very welcome, there remained a shortage of staff working in tourism and he did not think the situation was going to change quickly.
‘The hospitality industry is coping with fewer staff and that has a knock-on effect to all of us involved in the tourism service industry.
‘There needs to be a sea change within the States about where they find the hospitality staff and we need to recruit from different areas.
‘The States and the hospitality industry are working hard to improve the situation and it needs to be sorted out now, not next year.’
