Give the new TMB a chance to do 'better'
AFTER a period where Visit Guernsey has been repeatedly challenged from what appears to be a majority of its own industry, one of its supporters has laid down her own challenge to the rest of the industry.
‘If anyone sits there saying Visit Guernsey hasn’t been doing a good job for the past year, then show me how you do it better,’ says Charlie Walker, MD of the Little Big Hotels Group, in an interview in today’s newspaper. Some might say they would relish the opportunity.
She paints a picture of transformation of the States marketing unit and, most importantly, a desire to work with industry.
Economic Development has taken considerable criticism for talking a good game over tourism, and then failing to deliver. It was talking about overhauling the industry – its critics say it hasn’t gone far enough, and what it has done, has been done too slowly.
The Guernsey Hospitality Association says the visitor economy ‘has not delivered for Guernsey over the last 10 years’ and is getting weaker.
What both sides appear to be agreed over is that change was required. For some people, that has happened. For others, it is happening, gradually, with the launch of the Tourism Management Board. And for the rest, that’s the wrong approach.
Concerns have been raised about the accountability of Visit Guernsey and its ability to operate as a commercially-focused organisation.
Economic Development said the TMB – which clearly looks to be a compromise – meets the principal aim of having tourism run by an independent, industry-led decision-making body. It’s supposed to be cheaper, and could lead to further positive changes down the road.
One thing everyone should be agreed on is recognising the importance and securing the sustainability of the tourism industry.
Economic Development’s approach needs to be given an opportunity to work. But there will be an obvious desire to see positive results quickly.