Visit Guernsey in marketing push ahead of ETA roll-out
VISIT GUERNSEY has started extending its marketing into France and wider continental Europe ahead of the introduction of new travel regulations next year.
A new system is being brought in that will eventually require all non-UK visitors to the island to obtain a visa waiver under the Electronic Travel Authorisation Scheme.
Tourism Management Board chairwoman Hannah Beacom said that it was not thought that this would be a deterrent to holidaymakers or affect the number of visitors since the cost of an ETA was, at £10, relatively small.
But concern has already been expressed that this might impact day trips by French nationals, who at the moment are able to visit using just their national identity card.
The introduction of ETAs will mean they will need to get a visa waiver and to do so they will need a passport, and only about half of the population are thought to have one.
This will impact day trips by operators Condor and Manche Iles, although the current scheme will run until September next year.
After that, unless some other arrangement is made, all day-trippers will need a passport and so numbers could fall.
‘To combat this we have already been proactively extending our marketing reach into France and further into Europe – the German, Swiss and Austrian markets,’ said Ms Beacom.
Visit Guernsey recently gave an update to industry on its attempts to reach tourists in Europe.
There will be more than 60 pages of editorial in the autumn/winter issue of Gala, a French weekly women’s magazine.
It has more than 15m. readers and 12m. social media followers.
Visit Guernsey hosted a team from the magazine in June. They visited more than 20 locations in the island.
A group of journalists from Marie Claire Idees, L’Alsace, Entreprendre and Avantage have also been recently visiting the island.
Marie Claire Idees will be producing a dedicated feature on Hauteville House.
Journalists from the other three publications experienced a tailor-made itinerary, including a trip to Sark, showcasing the best of the island’s food, culture, and outdoor activities.
A journalist from Telerama, a Paris-based cultural magazine with a print run of 440,000 copies is due to visit at the end of September.
Visit Guernsey marketing manager Jo Ferguson has also been attending the French trade show IFTM Top Resa in Paris.
‘We are joining our French PR agency in what is a fantastic opportunity to meet French trade and tour operators and promote the islands and our direct Paris route,' she said.
Aurigny started operating a twice-weekly direct service to Paris earlier this year and it has been considered to be a success, with particular interest tied into the Olympics.
