Visitors to the island accounted for an estimated two-thirds of the 23,975 passenger movements carried by British Airways between 19 April and the end of July.
As the latest figures from the ports indicated that Guernsey would see more visitors in 2026 than in any year since the pandemic, Guernsey Hospitality Association president Alan Sillett said feedback from the tourism industry indicated that the Heathrow connection was having a substantial effect.
‘We are hearing that bookings are coming from longer-haul markets and that some are being made at relatively short notice, which is particularly useful for the industry,’ said Mr Sillett.
‘This is a clear indication of the greater reach the Heathrow connection gives Guernsey.’
A number of hotels are reporting significant increases in room nights through booking partners connected with BA. Some have seen volumes more than double compared with last year and, in one case, more than triple.
The most-recent quarterly figures showed that bed occupancy increased in April and June, compared to the same months last year, and was broadly similar in May.
There was also an increase in visitors to the island from outside the UK, Jersey and France.
The number whose country of residence was elsewhere rose by 29% compared with the same quarter last year – from 9,545 to 12,332.
UK visitor numbers were up by 12%.
Visit Guernsey marketing manager Sam Claxton said the Heathrow service was performing well and the partnership with BA had provided an opportunity to promote Guernsey to a wider audience.
‘We know that the partnership with BA has helped introduce the island to their extensive audience network through a series of marketing campaigns,’ he said.
‘Given that occupancy in June was up to 84%, and we have anecdotal evidence that July and August’s figures are strong, we’re pleased with how the season is going.’
The Guernsey-Heathrow route saw 2,042 passenger movements during its first 12 days of operation in April. The figure rose to 7,633 in May, 6,675 in June and 7,435 in July.
Charlie Walker, who jointly chairs the Tourism Advisory Board, said the BA service was a real positive for Guernsey’s connectivity and profile.
‘Improved access from a major hub matters enormously for attracting higher-spending visitors and for making the island feel like a credible, accessible destination,’ she said.
‘It’s still early days in terms of measuring the full impact on visitor numbers, but the direction of travel is encouraging.’
BA launched its year-round daily Guernsey-Heathrow service on 19 April, using Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft.
Although some other routes have lost passengers, the net effect on movements has been positive, and Mr Sillett said the Heathrow link had given the hospitality sector greater confidence in the island’s connectivity.
‘Heathrow is a major international hub and opens up access to markets that have traditionally been much harder for visitors to reach,’ he said.
‘We very much hope this is just the beginning of a wider strengthening of Guernsey’s air links and that, over time, we can use this improved connectivity to attract more visitors from further afield and help return overall passenger numbers towards the levels we saw in 2019.’