| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 22/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 47 |
| Copyright: Other |
Different attitudes: Guernsey, left, has dropped its scheme for a 10-year strategy but Jersey, right, is set to go ahead with its own initiative to improve the island’s tourism infrastructure
CHANNEL ISLANDS
GUERNSEY’S tourism chiefs have dropped plans for a 10-year strategy in an attempt to try to speed up the pace of change on the island.The tourist boards on both Guernsey and Jersey were planning to devise guidelines for the future and attract local support.
But Guernsey Tourist Board director of marketing Michele Burles said the board has decided that 10 years is too far into the future to plan for.
“We don’t want to spend time planning but rather to get things moving,” said Burles.
“Anything planned beyond three years would be obsolete. It is more important to be open-minded and flexible.”
Some ideas from the 10-year plan are still on the drawing board – tenders for a thalassotherapy centre are due to go out soon and funding is being sought for a casino in St Peter Port and a Victor Hugo centre to mark the French author’s life in exile in Guernsey.
These projects aside, other policies are being developed in response to immediate needs.
One of these includes what Burles calls ‘route marketing’ – encouraging airlines to start new services from mainland Europe to the island.
“Access is everything,” she said. “Aurigny launched flights from Amsterdam last year, which can pick up traffic from northern Germany and we are hoping for a service from Paris next year.”
Meanwhile, Jersey is going ahead with the launch of its 10-year plan. Jersey Tourism marketing director David de Carteret said: “We will be asking the Government to approve funding for specific projects and other items that will need a change in policy.”
Of more immediate concern to the island, as well as operators, is the sudden closure of a number of hotels this year. They include Les Arches Alexandra, Blenheim and Barra.
De Carteret said about 800 beds have been lost as hoteliers have sold their properties to the housing sector instead of investing in improvements.
“The hotels that have closed were old and would have needed a lot of investment to bring them up to standard,” he added. “It is a worry that we are losing beds and I think there are more losses to come.”
Jon Penson, managing director of tour operation Islanders, is angry that many of the hotels ceased trading without warning and is concerned that tourism chiefs are spending too much time looking ahead rather than doing something now.
“Jersey is a lovely place but it needs an indoor leisure pool,” he said. “They have been talking about it long enough. It’s time to do something.”
Jersey Travel Service Channel Islands product manager Jo-Ann Canevali added: “We expected some losses in beds and contracted to take account of that, so we will not have a problem but I think the issue needs to be looked at.”
Several operators believe the plans will bring benefits.
Thomas Cook Channel Islands product manager Andy Noble said: “Getting all the island behind tourism has got to be good. We are already seeing some positive developments with less resistance from hoteliers to the idea of short breaks than in the past.”
De Carteret added that there are plans for a 239-room Crowne Plaza hotel – the island’s first international brand.
The two main Channel islands are taking a separate approach to improving their tourism fortunes.