The European qualifier for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, which has been running in the island for the past week, has filled hundreds of bed nights, at the St Pierre Park Hotel for the player groups, with families and other spectators scattered around the island.
Charlie Walker, the co-chair of the Tourism Advisory Board, agreed that it was a model worthy of further pursuit.
Guernsey has hosted a number of ICC events in recent years and would welcome the chance to do more, said Richard Headington from the Guernsey Cricket Board. And grant funding from the TAB would help.
The TAB, which works alongside industry and the Economic Development Committee to develop the island’s tourism strategy, distributes an annual events and activities grant that local organisers can apply for.
‘Could we do more? Absolutely, but increased funding to distribute accordingly is necessary,’ said Ms Walker.
‘The challenge is always balancing a finite pot across a wide range of deserving applications.’
The ICC has largely funded the travel costs for each of the visiting players, covering their flights, ferries and accommodation.
But the tournament’s visitor reach extends far beyond its players – introducing European travellers to the island’s restaurants, beach kiosks on tournament rest days, hospitality venues and shops.
Each country has brought a squad of 14, with at least two managers or coaches, while the event itself is hosting international umpires, captains and match officials, while many of the young players have supporting family and friends alongside, all of whom have booked their own stays, often of a week or more, at surrounding hotels, including The Duke and the Old Government House.
‘Events like this cricket tournament are exactly why sports tourism sits at the heart of the TAB’s ambitions,’ said Ms Walker.
‘Guernsey gets to showcase itself to a global audience, fill hotel beds, and build a reputation as a credible international sporting destination.
‘The ICC’s involvement in funding players and accommodation is a real advantage for an event of this scale, and Visit Guernsey’s promotional support amplifies that reach further.’
She said that sport had consistently been one of the strongest areas of investment for tourism.
The TAB was keen to explore different funding avenues, she added.
It has supported events which have failed to take off in the past, and it has been proposed that sports tourism could be better funded by providing a direct financial return on bed nights after the event has concluded instead of some up-front funding.
‘That underwritten model is an interesting idea and one worth exploring,’ she said.
‘A performance-based incentive tied to hotel room occupancy aligns tourism’s investment directly with the economic outcome we’re trying to achieve. It could reduce upfront risk and encourage organisers to think commercially about their events. It’s the kind of innovative approach the TAB would be open to discussing.’
Guernsey Cricket chief operating officer, Richard Headington said that Visit Guernsey had been a big support in the lead-up to the current tournament. He thought that ‘potentially’ a hybrid support model could work in the future.
‘I would need to know more to enable me to assess the impact on cash flow,’ he said.
‘How the scheme can be measured and the overall risk, especially [for cricket] in terms of the weather.’
Mr Headington said Guernsey has a track record of staging international cricket events, with its four cricket grounds impressing most of the European teams as a significant upgrade on their own facilities.
‘Everyone I’ve spoken to from the countries that have come over have said “wow, your facilities are absolutely fantastic”,’ he said.
‘It’s a real privilege for our island to host this event, and we’re really pleased with the efforts that all of our volunteers have put in.
‘Visit Guernsey has enabled us to put up banners in town for the tournament, and there’s hopefully going to be features in various magazines, including Brittany Ferries, Aurigny, and St Pierre Park.
‘On the back of this success and the support we’ve received from the ICC, we will certainly be looking to host further tournaments and competitions in the future.’