Tourism needs confidence, not uncertainty

Trips had been planned, even booked, for people to head to Guernsey to coincide with the ‘opening’ of the island’s borders. Reconnecting with family not seen for months was a high priority.

To no great surprise, the opportunity to visit the island and isolate only until a first negative test result came through was greeted enthusiastically.

That was until it emerged that most of the UK would remain in category three – as far as Guernsey is concerned, anyway – and weekenders were quickly put on hold. Seven-day isolation was not part of these plans.

It is this kind of uncertainty which is crippling Guernsey’s hospitality and specifically the tourism sector – but it is a problem which, under current regional classification policy, they have to accept is no one’s fault.

The Committee for Economic Development was yesterday due to sign off creative advertising concepts for 2021. How much of that is already booked and paid for, and will be pushed out during the early summer in the hope of a big uplift from July, will also be uncertain, and a difficult judgement call.

There would be little point in spending big now if travel was to be restricted again during the summer, but leave it too late and we run the risk of missing our market.

Some may feel that an opportunity is being missed in not pursuing similar tactics to those employed in Jersey, where travel restrictions are already significantly less and set to become more so before the end of the month. ‘Don’t cancel 2021’ is one of Jersey’s straplines, and it feels right.

Guernsey transport providers admitted this week that the situation with border restrictions could remain fluid and it is clearly difficult for them to anticipate and manage.

Meanwhile, Guernsey as a community continues to broadly accept the island’s approach to Covid, but we may find ourselves challenged when tourists start to return and we see an almost-inevitable return to Covid cases in the island.

Whatever the creative looks like, this summer’s tourism campaign will be all about confidence and belief.