Final trade update of 2024
From our Boxing Day campaign to increasing our presence in France, our final update of the year shares some of our plans for 2025.
23 December 2024
As we approach Christmas and the end of year, this will be our final update of 2024.
But before we wrap up the year, don’t miss our Boxing Day campaign (details below) as well as a heads up on what’s in store for 2025 (and beyond). We hope you’re as excited as we are to see where 2025 takes us.
If you would like more information about anything in this newsletter, or if there is anything we can do to help, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
In the meantime, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the VisitGuernsey team.
Boxing Day campaign ready to go live
The VisitGuernsey 2025 digital advertising campaign goes live on 26 December, targeting all UK departure points (and Dublin) across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Display. The campaign will reach solo travellers, couples, families and friends, encouraging people to escape and discover somewhere new in 2025.
Watch the hero video for the Boxing Day campaign on the VisitGuernsey website.
We will also be kicking off our print campaign with our first ad in the Telegraph (circulation 442,553) on 4 January (themed around wellness and relaxation), followed by an ad in the Radio Times (circulation 442,819) on 7 January (themed around family time, and outdoor fun).
These assets will be available to download from the Trade & Media website in the coming weeks, for you to use on your own website and social media channels.
Increasing our presence in France
In response to the release of the Brittany Ferries timetable, and the opportunities it presents into the French market, we have added weight to our campaigns targeting the Brittany and Normandy regions, alongside Paris and departure points St Malo and Paris Charles de Gaulle. These will continue into the new year and will gain momentum as we head into spring. We will have more news to share with you in early January about our plans to maximise these new French connections.
Research has shown that Guernsey’s outdoors is the most attractive aspect of the island to French visitors. We are testing various creative executions to see which perform best, allowing us to adjust accordingly for the best results. The estimated reach is more than half a million people.
Save the Date - Product Development Workshop
The next Product Development Workshop is scheduled for Thursday 6 February 2025.
Following on from this year’s product development workshop, the event will include discussions around emerging tourism trends and core themes, and will facilitate partnerships between industry stakeholders to develop and improve the visitor product and experience.
We would be delighted if you could join us and will share more details in the new year.
Year of the Normans - 2027
In 2027, Normandy will be celebrating the millennium of William the Conqueror and Norman heritage and culture.
In preparation for the programme of events and activities, a Guernsey and Jersey delegation, including a representative from VisitGuernsey, attended a European forum with working groups from France, Italy, Ireland, Great Britain, Norway and Denmark.
The forum, held in Caen, Normandy, marked the beginning of the planning process and we are now working on how the Channel Islands can best tie in with this large-scale project to both commemorate and celebrate our shared history.
We will be sharing more detail at the Product Development Workshop in February.
VisitGuernsey to sponsor Victor Hugo exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts
VisitGuernsey is to sponsor 'Astonishing Things: The Drawings of Victor Hugo', an exhibition presenting a selection of Hugo's rarely seen works, taking place at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
The exhibition, which runs from 21 March – 29 June 2025, will feature around 70 artworks from important European collections, and will comprise works from Hugo's early caricatures and travel drawings to his dramatic landscapes.
This presents a fantastic opportunity for us to not only put Guernsey in a prime London location but also engage with the Royal Academy's database of 80,000 people, who align well with the audience we are trying to attract to the Islands.
VisitGuernsey will be hosting a private reception at the Academy on Thursday 20 March, which will also include an installation by Art for Guernsey, and will be attended by journalists from top tourism, lifestyle and cultural publications to secure editorial coverage promoting Guernsey’s art and cultural connections, including - of course - Victor Hugo.
Other benefits include onsite, print, and digital brand awareness, as well as a half-page advert in the Royal Academy magazine, all of which will combine to - we hope - increase visitor numbers and in turn support local trade.
Read the Royal Academy of Art’s press release.
Vianden Seen Through a Spider’s Web, 1871. Maisons de Victor Hugo, Paris / Guernsey.
Photo: CCØ Paris Musées / Maisons de Victor Hugo.
We Have Ways of Making You Talk: Al Murray’s WWII podcast
During their visit to Guernsey in September, Al Murray (stand-up comedian and history enthusiast) and James Holland (bestselling author and historian) recorded three episodes of their history podcast ‘We Have Ways of Making You Talk’.
These have now been released. So far, there have been 250,000 listens to our episodes since they went live in October. 2.5 million people have listened to the podcast generally during the same period.
- The Germans are Coming (Part 1)
- The Concrete Fortress (Part 2)
- The Haunted Underground Hospital (Part 3)
As always, we are on hand to help and support in any way we can. Please get in touch!
With thanks, the VisitGuernsey team.
