January 2025 Trade Update

Welcome to our latest trade update, in which we'll be covering the following:

• Update: December/January campaign performance
• Update: Capitalising on France and Brittany Ferries opportunities
• Update: Guernsey hosts the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) 
• Action: Please check your online information
• Action: Monthly occupancy survey reminder 
• Update: Guernsey Football Club collaboration
• Action: Partnership package opportunities

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.  

Capitalising on France and Brittany Ferries opportunities

While the UK remains VisitGuernsey’s primary market, France has always been an important secondary market for tourists to the Island. With Guernsey now serviced by one of Europe’s largest ferry operators, Brittany Ferries, there is a significant opportunity to attract more French visitors to the Island, particularly during our peak summer season when there will be a daily service.

When the Guernsey/France ferry timetable was announced in November, we launched an additional digital marketing campaign around St Malo, resulting in 13% of all visitors to the VG website in December 2024 coming from France, compared to 3% in December the previous year.

As a result of the announcement of a Guernsey-only ferry service, we increased marketingand trade activity into the French market including, but not exclusively, digital awareness-raising campaigns (Display, YouTube, Paid Search) focusing within a 25-mile radius ofFrench departure points and a trade outreach programme to information centres across the Brittany/Normandy regions, highlighting the new 7-day a week, peak time, day trip opportunity.

We are working closely with the UK and France marketing teams at Brittany Ferries and will have exciting news to share over the coming weeks on several collaborative projects. We are also working on taking a joint approach to our visiting journalist programmes (UK/France) and have a co-fund campaign launching in early February.

Guernsey hosts the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) 

Guernsey was delighted to host the Standing Committee of CSPOC. The Conference brings together the Speakers and Presiding Officers of the national parliaments of the independent sovereign states of the Commonwealth.  

The island welcomed the Speakers of the parliaments of Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Samoa, Tonga and the United Kingdom together with senior officials for the meeting. 

Visiting delegations contributed a total of 117 bed nights, equating to a minimum of£33,000 into the hospitality sector, providing a boost during the quieter off peak season. With some groups staying up to six nights, the wider local economy also benefitted.  

As well as the meeting itself, visiting delegates and their parties took part in a tour of the Royal Court and enjoy an island tour, including visits to The Little Chapel and the Occupation Museum. 

Action: Please check your online information  

We would urge you all to take a few moments to review your entry on the VisitGuernseywebsite and to let us know of any changes/amendments that you wish to make. Feel free to send us updated photographs or new information if you have made any changes since the last update. 

It’s also a good idea to check your own social media channels so that they are accurate, and as up to date as they can possibly be.  

Action: Monthly occupancy survey reminder

All accommodation providers are asked to please look out for the accommodation survey which will drop into your inbox in the first couple of days each month. It is a requirement ofthe boarding permit that this information is supplied to us regardless of whether you are open, closed, or have long-stay guests.

Why not try setting a monthly diary note to yourself as a reminder to complete the survey.

If you’re not receiving the survey please do check your junk/spam mail or provide us with an email address to qualitydevelopment@gov.gg so that we can verify if you are included on the database. January survey (December occupancy) can be completed here: https://forms.office.com/e/GeXjCGxnSL and your cooperation, and insights are very much appreciated and assist us to help you with targeted marketing, campaigns and joint initiatives. 

We are here to help 

When you complete your monthly occupancy survey, we ask that you complete the comments section. We read every one, so if you have a concern, compliment or comment please let us know. For example, if you do have a lull in bookings we can analyse the data and suggest some options to help fill those gaps. It’s also good to share good news, so if you have something positive about your business we’d love to hear it.  

Update: Guernsey Football Club collaboration

As part of our continued strategy to drive tourism during the shoulder months, we are collaborating with Guernsey FC to raise awareness of their home fixtures and entice visitors to stay for the weekend. We have created a series of digital assets and a landing page here, plus we have created personalised digital assets for each rival club and their fans to entice them to make the weekend trip to Guernsey.

We posted about our GFC packages on the VisitGuernsey social media channel on 25th Jan. 

We have already had interest from a number of rival teams looking encourage their partners, family and fans to visit Guernsey. Come on the green army!

Action: Partnership Package Opportunities - Don't miss out

The VisitGuernsey team have been hard at work coordinating packages and bespoke packages for a number of businesses to

If you wish to further capitalise on the increase number of visitors to the VisitGuernseywebsite, be that a Facebook post, a featured listing, a blog or indeed a solus email, please do not hesitate to get in touch. January has seen a number of you book your activity for the year, so spaces for activity are filling up quickly. 

Get in touch today with Lorenzo.crispini@gov.gg to avoid missing out. 

As always, we are on hand to help and support in any way we can. Please get in touch!

With thanks, the VisitGuernsey team.