A summer that can be built on
JUST like that, the long, hot summer – the hottest on record, though whether that is cause for celebration is in doubt – is over, officially anyway.
It has been an encouraging one for many reasons. Beautiful weather, the happy situation of being free of Covid restrictions after two years, and a chance to have visitors back on our shores properly.
It has been a joy to chat to holidaymakers, to see the streets of town alive with cruise passengers, while hotels and establishments are busy.
The vibe from the hospitality industry seems cautiously positive, demonstrating almost a reluctance to embrace anecdotal success. Maybe it’s justified concern, that some of the bed nights secured during the summer were actually booked and paid for more than 24 months ago, and that a more normal 2023, without legacy visitors, might be more difficult.
Talking down tourism is unwelcome – but talking it up without substance is foolhardy. And as the Guernsey Hospitality Association says, we all benefit from visitor spend indirectly, not least by their contribution to help transport providers.
Some transport challenges worrying the sector have long proved difficult to fix easily. But others are more clearly in the island’s gift. States and industry working together to remedy these problems is a must, to create hope for another good summer in 2023.