The Tourism Advisory Board is heading into the summer season with a new structure, a new name and new members.
The board was created by the Economic Development Committee to bridge the gap between industry and government, and was initially known as the Tourism Management Board. After a three-year review, it has come under fresh leadership and changed its name.
Charlie Walker, managing director of the Little Big Hotel Group, and Clare Crowson, from UK-based tour operator Premier Holidays, have been co-chairing the board for the past four months, and are now recruiting four new members.
‘It was acting more as an advisory board as it was,’ said Ms Walker.
‘So the name change to Tourism Advisory Board is reflective really of what it’s capable of. It’s a part-time board with industry professionals. We don’t manage ED’s budget. We don’t manage Visit Guernsey’s budget. We’re very much there to advise and to voice the concerns or the positive feedback from industry.
'Ultimately, I think the name better frames the next stepping stone that tourism needs to take – to take the word “advisory” and really push harder.’
The co-chairs are keen to band together with like-minded members, ideally who also have industry experience.
‘The current contract for TMB members expired in March, so they rolled over slightly to see it into its new formation,’ said Ms Walker.
‘It’s an exciting time. If the members re-apply, that’s fantastic, but it’s also an opportunity to replace and see that transition. Claire and I have sat on the TMB since it formed, so we’re able to hit the ground running from now onwards.’
The Guernsey Hospitality Association will take a permanent seat on the new board, along with the Guernsey Tourism Partnership. New members will be announced over the coming weeks. From her experience on the board, Ms Walker said she had learned a lot about the industry.
‘There’s so many nuances to tourism that people maybe take for granted,’ she said,
‘And how much of the island is underpinned by what we consider “tourism”. If it wasn’t for tourists, for example, there probably wouldn’t be enough of a market for the taxis.’
She said she hoped to find the ‘right’ people to take a seat around the TAB table.
‘No egos involved, we’re all trying to achieve the same end goal,’ she said.
Initial applications received had been ‘really interesting’, she said.
‘It’s amazing who’s living in Guernsey – you wouldn’t know what their experience or background was. I can’t say more than that at this stage, but it’s phenomenal the global reach that actually is available in the expertise on-island. These individuals coming forward offer an opportunity for a conversation, to share views and feedback.
‘Everyone’s trying to be constructive and collaborative at this point. It’s less about finger-pointing, and using Covid as an excuse. It’s now recognising that actually, globally, tourism has changed, and how do we reposition ourselves as an island to make best use of that, and how do we capitalise?’
If that was to mean taking a different perspective, and changing historical methods, Ms Walker said she was willing and prepared to pivot and shake things up.
‘We just need to ensure that we’ve got really strong data and reporting mechanics to back ourselves,’ she said.
‘We’ve seen an incredible response and returns from the events and product development funding pots. We’re looking to lobby that and ensure that we can increase that investment from ED into tourism and see what private capital that might unlock.
‘We’re an entrepreneurial island – but it’s expensive and quite prohibitive to do business here. If some events or products just need a bit of a kick to help with funding, then it would be good if we could have the capacity to fund towards them. Equally, we need to make sure there’s a long-term vision – two or three years’ worth of funding – to enable the planning of larger scale events or to further enhance product development.’
She said one of the easiest ‘quick wins’ for significant results, was to focus on extending the tourism season – looking to attract visitors at either ends of summer, in the shoulder months.
‘The data from this year’s first three months shows that there’s appetite there,’ she said. ‘We’re looking to unlock sports tourism, food and cultural events to ensure that there’s a reason to come to Guernsey, outside of the bucket and spade time of year. Visit Guernsey are doing an incredible job. They’ve put Guernsey on the map, and that work should be championed.
'Our job now is ensuring that as an island and an industry, we’re all on the same page in terms of what our brand is, and how to deliver it.’