21 November 2025 Trade Update

Executive Summary

Welcome to the latest update from the VisitGuernsey team. In this edition, we’re thrilled to bring you exciting news: a brand-new London route with British Airways, fresh partnerships with a leading podcast and magazine, Aurigny stepping in to keep connections with Jersey and Southampton strong, and an update on our continued efforts to grow the French market in Paris.

Agenda:

• BA links Heathrow and Guernsey with a new daily route starting in April 2026.
• Aurigny keeps Guernsey connected with Jersey and Southampton following Blue Islands entering administration.
• The UK's biggest hospitality podcast 'Go-To Food' spent 48 hours in Guernsey with us, recording a new episode at Vraic.
• Q3 delivers strong growth in foot traffic and online engagement.
• Teaming up with Discover Britain magazine to grow our marketing database.
• We attended leading travel trade show IFTM Top Resa in Paris to strengthen our presence in the French market.

If you would like more information about anything in this newsletter, or if there is anything we can do to help, please get in touch by emailing enquiries@visitguernsey.com or by calling 01481 223552.

British Airways connects Heathrow and Guernsey

The Committee for Economic Development has signed an agreement with British Airways to launch a direct route from Guernsey to London Heathrow from April 2026, with the aim to strengthen both business and tourist travel for the island. 

This new partnership, with a household brand like BA, allows us the opportunity to market the Islands of Guernsey to their existing audience of 30 million people. It also makes the island more accessible via interlining, allowing visitors to travel on the BA network from a multitude of countries into Guernsey on a single ticket. 

We have already connected with the BA marketing team to identify how we best advertise the new route to maximise this opportunity, and will update you on our plan soon. 

Read more here. 

Aurigny keeps Guernsey connected

VisitGuernsey was saddened to hear the news of Blue Islands’ closure, a long-standing partner in Channel Islands connectivity. However, we are proud to share that Aurigny has stepped up immediately to ensure seamless travel for Guernsey and beyond. 

Within hours, Aurigny boosted capacity on key routes, adding extra flights and introducing flexible fares to keep travel plans on track. This swift response means essential links to the UK and inter-island services continue without disruption. Tourism, business travel, and healthcare journeys remain fully supported, ensuring Guernsey stays open and accessible. 

Aurigny’s commitment to reliability and customer care has reinforced confidence among visitors, trade partners, and the local community. VisitGuernsey is working closely with Aurigny to keep partners informed and reassure the market that Guernsey’s air links are strong and dependable. 

Read more here.

Showcasing Guernsey: Go-To Food podcast

This week, we were delighted to welcome the team behind the Go-To Food podcast to Guernsey. They visited the island to record a new episode at Vraic with Michelin-starred chef Nathan Davies. 

Go-To is the UK’s leading hospitality-focused podcast, attracting 150,000 monthly listeners, 150,000 YouTube viewers, and an impressive 3-4 million monthly views across social media. Hosts Ben and Freddy have interviewed some of the biggest names in the culinary world, including Heston Blumenthal, Michel Roux, and Tom Kerridge, and regularly feature popular foodie influencers such as @dinnerbyben and @nathanoutlaw .

With food being one of our key priorities for 2026, we partnered with their team to create a “48 Hours in Guernsey” video. This will showcase the island’s finest cuisine, highlight local producers, and feature a few must-do activities. A huge thank you to Red Carnation for collaborating with us on this exciting project. We can’t wait to share the videos with you soon.  

Strong Q3 Results for VisitGuernsey

We’re pleased to report another positive quarter for VisitGuernsey. Visitor numbers reached 127,954, up from 122,678 in Q3 2024, with 78,170 staying visitors, marking a 3% increase year-on-year. Our Net Promoter Score also saw a significant improvement, rising to 71 compared to 55 last year, reflecting growing visitor satisfaction. 

Digital engagement continues to perform strongly, with 1,209,009 website sessions - a 9.89% increase year-on-year - and 306,486 partner referrals, up 13.61%. On social media, we delivered 1.36 million impressions on META, further boosting awareness and interest in the island. 

Discover Britain competition delivers

VisitGuernsey recently sponsored a competition in the September/October issue of Discover Britain magazine, an award-winning publication with a print readership of 140,000, 20,000 subscribers, and a digital reach of 65,000. The magazine’s audience is educated and well-travelled, which is perfectly aligned with our target markets. 

The campaign was a great success, securing 3,500 new contacts for our consumer database, giving us a valuable opportunity to remarket to highly engaged potential visitors. This initiative strengthens our reach and supports our ongoing efforts to position Guernsey as a must-visit destination. 

VisitGuernsey showcases at IFTM Top Resa, Paris

VisitGuernsey recently participated in IFTM Top Resa in Paris, one of the premier annual travel trade events, attracting over 34,000 industry professionals and visitors. The event offered an excellent opportunity to strengthen our presence in the French market, showcase our connectivity with France, and share updates on key initiatives such as the Millennium European Year of the Normans.

Key Insights from the Event
There was significant interest in group travel, outdoor adventure, sustainable tourism, and cultural experiences - all areas where Guernsey excels. We received numerous requests for familiarisation trips and additional information. We are now actively following up with contacts to develop joint promotions, ensuring Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm, and Lihou remain top of mind for French travellers.