3 October 2025 Trade Update
Welcome to the latest update from the VisitGuernsey team.
03 October 2025
Executive Summary
Welcome to the latest update from the VisitGuernsey team. In this edition, we’re excited to share news of our continued journey toward a more sustainable future, and the launch of The Big Eat Guernsey food festival. Plus, we celebrate a cruise award win, spotlight Traverse’s impressive reach, and invite you to help shape our Trade & Media website.
Agenda:
- A more sustainable future - we're dedicated to shaping a future of tourism that’s both responsible and sustainable.
- Be part of The Big Eat Guernsey - we've launched a new food festival, starting in April 2026! It's free to join and all you need to do is register your interest before 31 October.
- Help shape our Trade & Media website - we still want your insights.
- Islands Unlimited - the inter-island ferry provider has released their 2026 schedule.
- Cruise win - an award win for 'Destination of the Year'.
- Global Collection Festival - St James launches a new annual event.
- Traverse influencers make a big impact - just three weeks after hosting 22 top-tier creators, their content has already reached an impressive 1.5 million people.
- A quick reminder from VisitGuernsey - please take a moment to check that your listings on our website are accurate and up to date.
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.
A more sustainable future
VisitGuernsey recently participated in a sustainability workshop hosted by the Guernsey Chamber of Commerce, aimed at supporting the Retail and Hospitality sectors in transitioning to a green economy.
With Guernsey’s legally binding commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, taking a more sustainable approach is something we should all be considering. The workshop has prompted VisitGuernsey to formally begin developing a more detailed sustainability roadmap, with short, medium, and long-term goals.
Be part of The Big Eat Guernsey
The Big Eat Guernsey is set to launch in April 2026, and we’re already seeing strong early interest from local businesses keen to be part of it. This brand-new food festival will shine a spotlight on Guernsey’s vibrant culinary scene and help position the islands as a leading foodie destination.
We’re inviting local restaurants, producers, activity providers, and hospitality partners to get involved. Participation is free and there are lots of ways to take part, from offering a special festival menu to hosting an immersive food event or collaborating with local partners on experiences inspired by themes such as The Great Outdoors, Meet the Locals, Foraging & Fine Dining, or French Connection.
If you’d like to be part of ‘The Big Eat Guernsey’, simply complete the sign-up form and return it to Bori (borbala.halasz@gov.gg) at VisitGuernsey by 31 October.
Help shape our Trade & Media website
In our last update, we shared that we’re beginning an exciting journey to redesign our trade and media-facing website, and we’re still eager to hear your thoughts.
This site is a vital tool for how we connect with you. As we move into the design phase, your input will help us shape a modern, accessible platform that makes it easy to find what you need.
We’d really appreciate it if you could take five minutes to complete our short survey.
Islands Unlimited launches 2026 schedule
Since launching in June, Islands Unlimited has carried more than 25,000 passengers on the Guernsey-Jersey route, highlighting the strong demand for inter-island ferry travel, and setting a confident course for 2026.
As such, the company has released the 2026 schedule, which will commence on Friday 27th March.
The operator will run sailings on Thursdays through Sundays, with Tuesday services added to the schedule starting in May.
Read more here.
British Isles wins Destination of the Year at Seatrade Europe
Cruise Britain and Cruise Ireland – working together as the British Isles – have jointly been awarded the ‘Destination of the Year’ award at this year’s Seatrade Cruise Awards.
The award recognises a location or cruising region that has consistently delivered exceptional experiences to both cruise passengers and cruise lines.
Representing a range of member ports, from the Orkney Islands in the north to the Channel Islands in the south, Guernsey is a prominent member of Cruise Britain, valued for its range of unique and diverse itinerary choices.
The award is well-timed given the growing interest in round-Britain cruises in both overseas and UK passengers.
It is hoped that the award will continue to foster collaboration between UK ports, as well as with new cruise liner business, to continue to drive increases in cruise visitors.
St James launches Global Collection Festival
Inspired by the Montreux Jazz Festival and born out of the last three years of Global Collection nights, St James has launched a new annual event, the Global Collection Festival.
Supported by the Tourist Management Board (TMB), the festival brings more than 20 musicians together, from all over the UK and Europe for four days of music and collaboration in Guernsey.
Based in St James and the OGH Hotel, the festival offers an opportunity for people to not only discover a wide range of different music, from traditional jazz to electronica and folk, but also experience new collaborations, recordings and exclusive one-off performances.
Find out more.
Traverse's impressive reach
It’s now been three weeks since we hosted Traverse, the conference that brought 22 elite-level influencers to our Islands for a week of island-hopping between Guernsey, Herm, and Sark.
While we expect to see continued content from the influencers across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, the initial flurry of posts has now settled, making this a great moment to share some early results.
We’re thrilled to report that the campaign has already generated 786 posts and over 1.5 million impressions - a strong indicator of the impact and reach that comes from working with top-tier influencers, which we will continue to do in the 2026 season.
View coverage.
A quick request
Finally, a quick reminder to check your listing on the VisitGuernsey website to ensure all details are accurate and up to date.
While we regularly review listings to keep information current, no one knows your business better than you. If anything needs updating, please don’t hesitate to get in touch, by emailing jo.dyer@gov.gg.
