16 September 2025 Trade Update
Welcome to the latest update from the VisitGuernsey team.
16 September 2025
Welcome to the latest update from the VisitGuernsey team. We’re excited to share updates on everything from last week's Traverse visit (which included 22 influencers with a combined social media following of more than 2.5 million) to the 30 pieces of coverage secured across top-tier titles in July and August.
Agenda:
- The Big Eat Guernsey - we're launching a new food festival in April 2026! It's free to join: all you need to do is register your interest before 31 October.
- Influencers assembled - 22 elite-level influencers visited the Islands last week. Some of their amazing content has already been shared on VisitGuernsey's Instagram.
- Help shape our Trade & Media website - we need your insights!
- Two busy months for PR have resulted in a combined print and digital reach of over 141 million this July and August. Read more below.
- The final results from August's additional French campaign are in, as well as two interesting month-on-month and year-on-year web figures.
- Sark Tourism's partner page is now live! Make the most of this platform to promote your offering.
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World Travel Market in London - free tickets are available before 22 September!
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Advertising opportunities at Beau Sejour Leisure Centre. Send us an email to find out more.
If you would like more information about anything in this article, or if there is anything we can do to help, please get in touch by emailing enquiries@visitguernsey.com or by calling 01481 223552.
The Big Eat Guernsey
We're excited to announce a brand-new food festival - The Big Eat Guernsey - launching in April 2026. The aim is to boost tourism during the shoulder season and, with the global food tourism market worth approximately £707 billion in 2024, position Guernsey as a leading foodie destination.
Everyone is invited to take part, either by creating a month-long, fixed-price festival menu which showcases Guernsey's dairy and seafood, and/or putting on long weekend food-themed events with one of four themes (meet the locals, the great outdoors, foraging and fine dining, or French connections).
The event is free to join, and will be supported by a dedicated VisitGuernsey marketing campaign, a new festival website, press exposure and social media.
Find out more in the news article below, which includes a sign up form. Please complete the form and return it to Bori (Borbala.Halasz@gov.gg) by 31 October to register your interest.
If you have any questions or wish to discuss ideas, please also get in touch.
Find more information here.
Influencers assembled!
After weeks of anticipation, Traverse finally arrived - and what a week it was! Saturday marked the last day of the campaign, which brought 22 high-profile influencers to our Islands. With a combined social media reach of more than 2.5 million followers, their presence represents a significant opportunity to showcase Guernsey, Herm, and Sark to a global audience.
From Monday to Saturday last week, these content creators immersed themselves in island life, exploring our landscapes, sampling local cuisine, engaging with our heritage, and experiencing the warmth of our community, even when the weather didn’t quite cooperate. Their itineraries were carefully curated to highlight the very best of what we offer, from coastal walks and historical sites to artisan producers and unique island hospitality.
We’re already beginning to see the fruits of this visit, with 557 posts so far, seen by more than 820k people. Stunning photography, engaging stories, and glowing reviews are being shared across platforms including Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, painting a vibrant picture of the Islands as a must-visit destination. You can view a small selection of their content here.
This kind of exposure is invaluable for our tourism sector. Not only does it help raise awareness among potential visitors, but it also reinforces the Islands’ reputation as a welcoming and enriching place to explore.
Help shape our Trade & Media website
We’re embarking on an exciting journey to redesign our trade and media-facing website, and we’d love your input.
This platform is one of our key tools for communicating with tourism partners, travel professionals, and media contacts. It plays a vital role in promoting the Islands and supporting the wider tourism industry.
We’re committed to creating a modern, accessible, and scalable site that delivers a seamless user experience, making it easier for you to find the information and resources you need.
Please take five minutes to complete our short survey. Your insights will help us build a platform that works better for you and ultimately helps us promote the Islands more effectively.
PR performance – July & August highlights
July and August delivered strong results for our PR activity, with 30 pieces of coverage secured across top-tier titles including The Telegraph, Country Life, Coast Magazine, Good Housekeeping, and Discover Britain.
Together, these publications boast a combined print and digital reach of over 141 million, putting the Islands firmly in the spotlight for a wide and influential audience.
This success is driven by our proactive media strategy, from hosting tailored press trips that showcase the best of our destination, to ongoing outreach promoting new connectivity, product developments, and on-island experiences.
We’re continuing to build momentum and visibility for the Islands and it’s great to see the results resonating across such respected platforms.
See all coverage here.
Uplift in French web visitors seen in August
In our mid-August trade mailer, we shared information about an additional French campaign, involving a mix of segmented television (on France Télévisions) and non-skippable web ads.
The campaign started on 5 August (with the segmented TV ad running until 15 August and the web ad until 31 August), targeting households 150km around St Malo.
We enjoyed an uplift in web activity from France during the campaign. Web visits in August were up by 51.85% versus August 2024, while our year-to-date web sessions went up by 22.52% compared to 2024.
New Sark tourism partner page
Sark have launched a new tourism partners page where they will showcase industry partners offering preferential rates or added value deals and experiences.
The aim is to build connections and broaden Sark’s reach, enhance visitor experiences and provide tangible benefits for visitors and residents.
Sark’s first partnership – with Sarnia Hotels – is now live. Sarnia Hotels are offering preferential rates for visitors staying in Guernsey en route to Sark, as well as assistance with ferry bookings and travel.
If you would like to get involved, please share your offers or promotions with office@sark.co.uk.
World Travel Market - register for free
VisitGuernsey will be attending the World Travel Market (WTM) in London this year, in order to network with thousands of travel professionals. Businesses attending WTM can build international partnerships, connect with key industry players, and gain insights into global travel trends.
If you’d like to attend WTM and represent your business, we recommend registering for a free visitor ticket before Monday 22 September.
After this date, tickets will cost £49 + VAT.
We’ll also be focusing our direct trade engagement on a dedicated event later this year in London, where the spotlight will be solely on our destination and partners.
Reach an active local audience
Looking to get your brand in front of thousands of active, engaged locals? Beau Sejour Leisure Centre is offering prime advertising space in two high-visibility locations:
1. Above the café entrance – a bold banner site measuring 8.3m wide x 3.4m high
2. Above the swimming gallery – a prominent space at 5.2m wide x 1.1m high
With over 515,000 visitors passing through the main entrance annually, this is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your business to a large and diverse audience.
To find out more, contact Birte.Paulsen@gov.gg
