To all Travel Trade Partners

Registration for the Guernsey Trade Workshop is now open through our dedicated web presence www.guernseytradeworkshop.com

Both off and on Island industry partners reported the 2010 event as hugely beneficial so we look forward to building on this success. This event should one again provide excellent networking and potential business development opportunities.

Over the coming weeks you will be able to make appointments for the business day with various hoteliers, self catering operators, carriers and our sister Islands as they register their intention to attend.  A meeting may also be requested with you from various hotels or self catering establishments and you can either accept or decline depending on the level of your interest (vice versa).  In this way it keeps meetings meaningful. 

The website has a full itinerary but the programme will commence on the evening of Wednesday 16^th May with a civic drinks reception, with the full business day being on Thursday 17^th May (with an off island delegate dinner in the evening).  Friday 18^th May will provide an opportunity to re-fresh yourselves with aspects of the Guernsey product during our familiarisation day.

VisitGuernsey really hopes that you will be able to attend and encourage you to register your attendance. Please help us to make this event as successful and as beneficial as possible for your business and for Guernsey Tourism.

If you have any questions at this time please email, in the first instance, Chloe Steadman from the trade and media team who will be co-ordinating this event.

The trade and media team will be sending further email updates over the coming months, in relation to this exciting event, but should this not be interest to receive these Chloe will be pleased to remove you from the email list.

Travel to the Island and accommodation is the responsibility of the operator but the ground programme and associated hospitality whilst on Island will be courtesy of VisitGuernsey.

VisitGuernsey very much hopes you will support the event and looks forward to seeing you there.

Guernsey Travel Trade Workshop 16-18 May 2012

SAVE THE DATE!

Guernsey is  pleased to confirm that by popular demand the Travel Trade Workshop will return, 16-18 May 2012.

Further details will be sent in the Autumn by the trade team but we wanted to let you know dates, at the earliest available opportunity, in order to maximise our chance of securing your attendance.

The intended format will be very similar to 2010. Both off and on Island industry partners reported last year’s event as hugely beneficial so we look forward to building on this success next year.

OUTLINE WORKSHOP DATES

Wednesday 16^th May PM Transfer to Guernsey

Evening Guernsey Workshop launch

(Jersey Tourism have confirmed Destination Jersey Workshop 14-16 May and will be in touch in the near future with further information)

Thursday 17^th May Business Day Guernsey to be held at Beau Sejour Leisure Centre.

It is anticipated that our sister Islands of Alderney, Sark and Herm will be represented at the Guernsey day

AM Friday 18^th May –Islands of Guernsey familiarisation

If you work with just one of the Islands, within your trade programme, we appreciate you will arrange your own schedule accordingly.

As with last year, Guernsey will organize a full itinerary including business networking, meeting schedules (with the on-line booking systems going live later in the year).

Trade Partners will once again be responsible for securing and making their own travel and accommodation arrangements but Guernsey will present concessionary and discounted opportunities in due course for those that do not  have established industry relationships.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Guernsey Trade Workshop, once again, in 2012.

Jason Moriarty

Director of Marketing and Tourism

Commerce and Employment Department is delighted to announce the appointment of Jason Moriarty as Director of Marketing and Tourism.

Jason Moriarty will take up his new role with immediate effect having previously held the post of Marketing Manager - trade and media, within the Marketing and Tourism team, for the last eight years. Mr Moriarty succeeds Chris Elliott who has returned to England with his family.

Commerce and Employment Minister Carla McNulty Bauer said “This is a vital role within the Department which Mr Moriarty is well qualified to deliver. The role of Director of Marketing and Tourism requires the post holder to be not only a forward thinking and effective marketeer but also have commercial acumen and the ability to build and nurture business relationships. The Director must be able to make recommendations on and develop policy under direction from the Board. It is policy development and guidance that assists the sector in reacting and evolving in an ever changing marketplace”.

Much of Jason Moriarty’s work over a fifteen year career history has been spent on integrated marketing campaigns, media relations and business development with commercial partners. Whilst this work will continue in vain Mr Moriarty will also now spend more of his time engaging with the local industry in order to maximise Guernsey’s potential and to ensure the visitor economy continues to grow from strength to strength.

Mr Moriarty said “I am very much looking forward to taking the helm of an experienced team and moving the VisitGuernsey marketing strategy forward. Despite a challenging economic climate over recent years in both the UK and Europe VisitGuernsey promotions have been successful and delivered an increase in staying leisure visitors. It is absolutely vital that, together with our partners, we continue to build on this good work. It is absolutely necessary to continue to adapt and where feasible to invest in order to remain both attractive and competitive within the consumer market. The team will continue to work very hard to ensure that this remains the case”.

Guernsey exhibited together with Jersey at ITB 2011. The exhibition was a resounding success with existing operators and group organisers from our German speaking markets optimistic about the season ahead. There was a good level of new enquiries for Guernsey  only and CI programmes. Follow up work continues in partnership with trade in the hope of converting some of these opportunities.

Between 11-16th January Guernsey joined forces with Sunair and Jersey to promote the CI at Vakantibeurs in Utrecht, the biggest annual trade and consumer fair on the Dutch calendar. The trade day was very well attended by agents and Jason from Guernsey Trade and Media met with operator and carrier partners within the market. Tony headed up the consumer days. The show was busy and once again produced a very good level of enquiries from prospective visitors.

The most common questions were with regards to access to the Island and the differences between Guernsey, Jersey, Herm, Sark and Alderney as well as hotel product, recommended length of stay and things to see and do.

Image of Tony Dawson from VisitGuernsey and the Sunair team Marly Martens and Linda Andeweg

VisitGuernsey is stepping up its targeting of group business this year as it builds on a successful 2010 in the group travel sector.

The island exhibited at Excursions 2011 in January, its first-ever participation in this event, in partnership with Condor Ferries and Premier Holidays.  This followed last year’s introduction of a dedicated groups e-brochure and a marked increase in interest from specialist operators at the Guernsey Trade Workshop event in May 2010.

“Groups business has been on the increase for us for 18 months or more,” said Jason Moriarty, VisitGuernsey’s Manager – Trade & Media Relations.

“Last year’s initiatives built the levels of interest and the time is right for us to devote more attention to this market and showcase the range of excursions, museums and activities we have to offer.”

With year-round direct flights from nine different UK airports, plus seasonal flights from two further airports and convenient ferry crossings from Poole, Weymouth and Portsmouth, Guernsey is easily accessible from mainland Britain.  The island also offers a range of accommodation to suit groups, from intimate boutique-style properties to larger four-star hotels with more extensive facilities.

The island boasts a wide variety of attractions and experiences, with plenty for all types of traveller.  Heritage is a big draw, with a range of excellent museums focusing on Guernsey’s maritime history, its Occupation by the German forces during World War 2, traditional Guernsey lifestyles and the story of the island’s most famous resident Victor Hugo.  Hugo’s home-in-exile, Hauteville House in St Peter Port, is one of Guernsey’s most compelling attractions, which also include the Sausmarez Manor house and the colourful Little Chapel, thought to be the smallest in the world.

Visitors can also relax at one of Guernsey’s 27 tranquil beaches and bays, enjoy colourful gardens and flower-filled rural lanes, or get active on the island’s 28 miles of spectacular clifftop paths and cycling routes  -  and even try their hands at coasteering and surfing.

Guernsey’s compact size (just 24 square miles) makes all of this easily accessible, and to add even greater variety day excursions to the traffic-free islands of Herm and Sark can be easily arranged.

To download the Guernsey group travel e-brochure organisers should visit Meet Guernsey or call 01481 234567.

Guernsey is not only a holiday destination as some other places are. It is the many aspects of our daily lifestyle, both traditional and quirky which often appeal to visitors and which lead them to choose our island for a holiday in spring, summer or autumn.

So, looking back on 2009, month by month, let’s take a look at what we did :- 

In January
we went “ormering under a full moon”. A tradition of gathering this member of the abalone family from shallow water and rock pools – only allowed on certain dates. (We make warming ormer casseroles with them)

In February
we pondered about which workshop we might participate in… not talking DIY/Black and Decker but more beading,landscape photography and more which take place in galleries and studios in St Peter Port during winter….

In March  
we walked across the cobbled causeway (exposed at low tide) to Lihou island because a rare Snowy owl was spotted there well off his usual course! He stayed for over 2 weeks and was perhaps attracted by our very own Guernsey-resident Barn owls. La Société Guernesaise has a nesting box project and we now have about 60 pairs across the entire island

In April  
we checked that our “wraps” were in tact ready for beach activities and swimming.  On Guernsey, we take to the beach early (some people swim all year round) and these  wraps are produced locally and are a wonderful towelling invention with an elasticated  neck fastening – for adults and children they provide a fast, easy and demure (!) “dressed-undressed” status on the sands

In May  
we celebrated the liberation of Guernsey from Occupation during World War 2. There were so many events : dances, parades, songs and salsa and  every year it remains just as poignant.  Friends who came over from the UK were also able to visit Hauteville House, Victor Hugo’s home in exile – it always opens in early May

In June
we enjoyed crab and lobster lunches and local ice cream at the beach cafés, most of us had started swimming by now and in the evenings we ventured up to Castle Cornet for some  fabulous outdoor theatre

In July
we went along to Le Viaer Marchi, organised by the National Trust of Guernsey where we embrace an evening of traditions from crafts to costumes

In August
when you have so many fabulous sandy beaches, this is where we came – before work, after school, after work and at weekends.  Some of us took to the water in kayaks, canoes, and in our small boats or took day trips during school holidays to neighbouring Herm and Sark

In September
we took stock on how many (or how few) of our famous cliff paths we had walked so far this summer  and we got out there and energetic to see the start of the colour changes and to pick blackberries and sloes

In October
we started thinking about eating out in many places at great value (it’s called Tennerfest but we don’t want to give too many of our secrets away)

In November
we got ready for Santa’s arrival by lifeboat (he came just 10 days or so ago) , got out our Christmas decorations an so on…

Now, in December
some of us are planning our day trips to Herm island on special Christmas shopping outings – there are just a couple of little boutiques which open just for this – another Guernsey tradition and, of course, some of us are still swimming and thinking about the New Year, the tides and dusting off our ormer baskets……

Love Guernsey like the locals !

<> More information : VisitGuernsey on 01481 723552, www.visitguernsey.com