15 January 2026 Trade Update
Welcome to the latest update from the VisitGuernsey team.
15 January 2026
Executive Summary
Welcome to the first update of 2026 from VisitGuernsey. We're looking forward to working closely with you again this year, and building on our shared success to create even more memorable experiences for our visitors.
In this edition, we'll be sharing a mix of updates, reflecting on 2025's successes, as well as new projects for 2026.
Agenda:
- The Big Eat website is now live, and is packed with lots of exciting events. There's still time to add yours!
- 2025 website performance highlights, including a 10% rise in site visitor numbers versus 2024.
- A partnership is now in place between Sunair Vakanties and Aurigny, for April-September 2026.
- The 2026 cruise ship schedule is now live, and includes six inaugural calls.
- The final numbers from 2025's Traverse conference are in, showing a total audience of 1.7 million people.
- Almost 250 agents have registered interest in Guernsey on Equator Global, a new online training portal. Get in touch to find out about training opportunities.
- An extension of the long-stay exemption has been agreed until the end of February 2027.
- Boarding permit fees have been agreed for 2026, including short 10-week permits and annual permits.
If you would like more information about anything in this newsletter, or if there is anything we can do to help, please email enquiries@visitguernsey.com or call 01481 223552
VisitGuernsey launches 'The Big Eat Guernsey'
VisitGuernsey is excited to announce The Big Eat Guernsey, a brand-new food festival celebrating the islands’ exceptional culinary scene. A dedicated website is now live, showcasing all events, menus, and experiences for this exciting initiative.
Launching in April 2026, this biannual festival will run every April and October, designed to boost tourism during the shoulder months and position Guernsey as a leading foodie destination.
The festival kicks off over Easter (3–6 April) with the arrival of the Breton Market, marking the start of a month-long celebration of local food and drink. Visitors can enjoy more than 40 confirmed events, including the Guernsey Grande Fromage Tour, foraging and fine dining experiences, farm-to-table dinners, hedge veg cycle tours, and opportunities to meet local and visiting chefs.
Festival highlights include:
- Month-long menus: Exclusive dishes at participating eateries showcasing Guernsey's finest produce.
- Immersive experiences: Food paired with the islands’ natural beauty and heritage.
Themes for April include Meet the Locals, The Great Outdoors, Foraging & Fine Dining, and French Connections.
The Big Eat is already gaining attention, featuring in Wanderlust’s 'Good to Go List 2026' and The Telegraph’s travel section.
You can access the full programme of events on The Big Eat website. There is also still time to get involved! Please contact Bori Halasz.
Read the press release here.
2025 website performance highlights
We’re pleased to report strong digital performance in 2025, with visits to the VisitGuernsey website exceeding 1.4 million, an increase of 10% compared to 2024. Partner referrals, representing users clicking through from our site to yours, also rose by 9.54% year on year, equating to just under 300,000 visits.
These results are highly encouraging and demonstrate the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns. The primary call to action across most advertising directs audiences to the website to learn more. By leveraging embedded tools such as our online survey and new chatbot, we’ve gained valuable insight into visitor interests and behaviours, enabling us to refine and tailor the website content to better meet their needs.
Head to the VisitGuernsey website.
Partnership with Sunair
We’re pleased to share a new partnership has been announced between Sunair Vakanties and Aurigny Guernsey’s Airline for 2026, operating April - September.
Direct flights to the Channel Islands
- Groningen to Guernsey: 25 April to 5 September - Operated by Aurigny, Guernsey's Airline
- Amsterdam to Jersey: July and August – Operated by KLM
VisitGuernsey have shared new products, events, restaurants and accommodation with the Sunair team ahead of their brochure being produced, as well as their 2026 planning.
We look forward to welcoming our Dutch visitors this spring!
2026 ahoy!
Exciting news - the 2026 cruise schedule is now live and can be viewed here: Cruise Ship Schedule.
This season promises to be a good one, with six inaugural calls as ships make their very first visit to our island. Even better, there will be no full pier closures, ensuring smooth operations throughout the season.
We’re thrilled to welcome back some of the larger ships, including the stunning AIDA Sol, which will call three times, and the impressive Carnival Legend.
Looking ahead, 2027 is shaping up to be even bigger, with 13 additional calls already booked, bringing the total to 63 scheduled visits so far.
Influencer numbers keep rising
In September last year we hosted Traverse, an invite-only conference for elite travel influencers, welcoming them to a week of island-hopping and immersive experiences showcasing the very best our islands have to offer.
Now that the event has concluded and the content has been live for several months, we’re pleased to confirm that it generated 854 individual posts, reaching a total audience of 1.7 million people and driving direct engagement from 41.5k users.
These results clearly highlight the impact of our visiting journalist programme and reinforce the importance of hosting both influencers and traditional journalists on the islands, enabling us to reach broader and more diverse audiences through multiple channels.
If you’re yet to be part of our visiting journalist programme, but would like to be this year, please get in touch with Jo Dyer.
Almost 250 agents register interest in Guernsey
Last year VisitGuernsey partnered with Equator Global to launch a new online training portal for travel professionals. Through Equator’s network of 350,000 trade professionals worldwide, the platform serves as a free resource to become a certified Guernsey expert.
The training portal features a sales toolkit, webinars, and events information, and upon completing six training modules, agents earn a certificate and incentives.
As of 1 January 2026, 241 agents have registered and 148 have completed all modules, with additional 1-2-1 sessions and training also booked in.
If you would like to offer an agent incentive and supply a prize for the next round of training sessions, please get in touch with Cara-Leah Hilton-Smith.
Extension of long-stay exemption
The Development & Planning Authority has agreed an extension to the period enabling long-stay, qualified residents to be accommodated in visitor accommodation without the requirement for a change of use application to be submitted.
The date is extended from 28 February 2026 to 28 February 2027.
The Regulations also extend the date on or by which the premises has to revert to its previous visitor accommodation use. The date is extended from 31 March 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Please note that if you wish to accommodate long-stay residents under this exemption, you should inform qualitydevelopment@gov.gg and planning@gov.gg. If your property is currently classed as use Class 7 (serviced) or used Class 8 (non-serviced) you are required to hold a valid boarding permit throughout the entire period of the exemption (you will receive an invite to renew for 2026 and subsequently for 2027) and to respond to the monthly occupancy surveys.
Read more in this news article.
Boarding permit fees agreed for 2026
In further news, boarding permit fees have been agreed for 2026. The price is £11.50 per bed for annual permits and £68 (flat rate) for short term 10-week permits.
The Quality Development team will be in touch with all accommodation providers in due course.
