From campaign updates and visiting influencers, to international events and media coverage, we have plenty of exciting updates to share with you this month.
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 with the VisitGuernsey team.
Cruise update for 2025/26
Early indications look promising for cruise ship visitors for 2025/6.
The 2025 cruise schedule is looking healthy, with passenger numbers for next year already surpassing 2024’s total.
We are delighted that, for 2026, we have two large cruise lines returning to Guernsey: Carnival and AIDA Cruises. Carnival - Legend has a capacity of 2,549 passengers and is scheduled for one visit in 2026, while AIDA Cruise - Sol has a capacity of 2,686 passengers and is scheduled for three visits.
The Cruise Steering Group continues to work collaboratively with representatives from both the Committee for Economic Development and the States Trading and Supervisory Board, along with operational staff from Guernsey Ports and VisitGuernsey.
This week representatives from both Guernsey Ports and VisitGuernsey are attending the SeaTrade Med event in Malaga, to raise awareness and develop Guernsey’s network. With more than 2,000 cruise professionals and representatives from more than 180 ports, destinations and suppliers expected to attend, it presents an excellent opportunity for discussions about scheduling Guernsey into future itineraries.
More visitors choosing to come in the shoulder months
Occupancy data for 2024 so far is up overall compared to last year, with more visitors choosing to travel to the islands outside of what has traditionally been our high season.
Occupancy for January-July 2024 was 59%, compared to January-July for 2023 which was 56%. Focusing on the shoulder months has been a strategic aim for VisitGuernsey, in line with the Framework for the Visitor Economy, and we have seen growth in the months that fall outside of high season.
While the shoulder months remain a key priority for us going forwards, we are taking trade comments into consideration when it comes to our 2025 planning. Concerns include travel disruption, transport costs - both getting to and around the island - and unsettled weather, which have impacted short-term bookings over July and August.
Looking at July, occupancy for Guernsey was 73%, slightly down on previous years. Hosting the Island Games in July 2023 inevitably impacted our year-on-year occupancy figures. As well as having more visitors here for that period, they also stayed for longer: while the average length of stay is 4.8 nights, during the Island Games, which took place from 8-14 July 2023, the average stay was 8 nights (arriving 6 or 7 July and staying until 15 July).
Looking further back, average July occupancy was 77% in 2023 and 75% pre-Covid in 2019. It is worth noting that we have also encountered well-documented challenges over the summer months this year and we welcome the efforts underway to improve air travel reliability and maintain the confidence of visitors built up over many years.
For all our statistics, including Quarterly Travel Bulletins, occupancy data and Ports stats head to Facts & Figures | Guernsey Trade Media. If you have any questions, please get in touch with one of the team.
French connections
Guernsey is the focus of more than 60 pages of editorial in the autumn/winter issue of Gala Magazine. With more than 15 million readers and 12 million social media followers, VisitGuernsey hosted the team from the French lifestyle publication in June, with more than 20 locations being used around the island.
This week we also welcomed the second of two French journalist groups to the island. Following a successful first trip earlier in the year, which secured us coverage in the likes of Grazia and Marie France, we were pleased to welcome journalists from Marie Claire Idees, L’Alsace, Entreprendre and Avantage, which have a combined print run just shy of 500k.
Marie Claire Idees will be producing a dedicated feature on Hauteville House, while the other three journalists will experience a tailor-made itinerary that showcases the best of the island’s food, culture, and outdoor activities, including a trip to Sark.
We’ll also be welcoming a journalist from Telerama - a French cultural magazine with a print run of 440k copies - at the end of September. We look forward to sharing the coverage from both trips in the coming months.
Next week, Marketing Manager Jo Ferguson will attend the French trade show, IFTM Top Resa in Paris. As part of UK Inbound’s stand, we are joining our French PR agency in what is a fantastic opportunity to meet French trade and tour operators, and promote the islands and our direct Paris route.
The International & French Travel Market (ITFM) is on from 17-19 September.
Events and Activity Grant Scheme applications are now open
Grant applications are now open for event and activity providers looking for financial support for their plans for 2025.
The Tourism Management Board will once again oversee the decision-making process for the grants and want to invest the funds in new product with a clear benefit to tourism. Weighting will be given to proposals that would increase bed nights/spend in the shoulder months of the traditional season and, with the island heading towards the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day, the board will welcome events and activities which take place over this period, highlighting this significant milestone in the island’s calendar.
More details on the grant, and how to apply, can be found here.
Promoting our World War II history
Work continues on promoting our history and heritage, as we build momentum towards the 80th anniversary of the islands' liberation next year.
Preparations for the day itself are well underway and we hope to provide an update on those in more detail soon. We’re also ensuring that the island’s wide array of history-based product is utilised throughout the year, to maximise visitor numbers throughout 2025.
More history-focused journalists will be visiting later this month and in early October to ensure that coverage is published in early 2025, putting Guernsey in front of potential visitors well ahead of Liberation Day.
Al Murray's WWII podcast
We’re excited to welcome stand-up comedian, and WWII history enthusiast, Al Murray to Guernsey later this month. While on island to perform at St James, we’ve taken the opportunity to extend his trip to produce content for his podcast about the history of the islands.
Alongside historian and bestselling author James Holland, the pair will be recording three episodes of their podcast ‘We Have Ways of Making You Talk’ whilst in Guernsey, focused on our WWII history. The podcast, which now has more than 800 episodes, has around 1.3 million downloads each month and more than 350,000 unique listeners. In addition, we will advertise directly to their engaged audience, as well as via their podcast and personal social media accounts, which have a combined following of over 550k people.
New operator launches Channel Islands tour
We continue our trade outreach programme and are pleased to announce that a new group tour operator - Beaches of Normandy Tours - has programmed in Guernsey for bespoke military history tours for 2025 and 2026. The 10-day tour starts in Paris and explores the D-Day beaches in Normandy, as well as other sites of special significance, before heading to Guernsey and Jersey to learn about our unique WWII history.
VisitGuernsey approached Beaches of Normandy Tours about working together ahead of the Liberation Day 80 celebrations, and we look forward to developing this relationship alongside a number of other on-going conversations.
Guernsey as a food destination
A table in Guernsey Food Festival
New for this year, ‘A Table in Guernsey Food Festival’ is taking place from 4-12 October. The events have been announced and include dinners with visiting and local chefs, a Guernsey vs Jersey food ‘muratti’, local producer tours, a Street Food Festival and much more.
Please help us spread the word by sharing details of the event on your social media accounts and email newsletters ahead of, and during, your visitors' stays.
Find out about all the events here.
Renowned chef James Strawbridge visiting Guernsey
Renowned chef and food influencer James Strawbridge is visiting Guernsey later this month to promote the island’s food provenance to his UK audience.
James, who will be on-island for three days, will create a series of videos in partnership with VisitGuernsey, to be posted on social media to his 122k followers. In addition to the island’s food provenance, the videos will promote Guernsey more generally as well as the island’s increased focus on sustainability using local produce.
His visit will include a foraging trip with a small group of pupils from La Houguette Junior School, followed by an afternoon visiting some of the Pollinator Project’s current initiatives with his mother Brigit Strawbridge, who is an influencer in her own right. She will also be posting content for her social media followers during the trip, as well as meeting Wild Islands; an environmental conservation organisation, whose mission is to create a nature positive world by highlighting islands as critical centres of biodiversity.
Amongst other activities, James will also be touring local producers, including the Guernsey Dairy, Rocquettes Cider, Guernsey and Herm Oysters, and Guernsey Seaweed.
James’ visit forms part of VisitGuernsey’s wider marketing strategy to promote food tourism, a key aim of the Tourism Management Board. He has a highly engaged audience on social media, who largely sit within some of our key target demographics; affluent couples and multi-generational families.
Promote your special offers in our consumer emailers
Our consumer mailers are sent out twice a month, to a database of more than 60,000 people who have subscribed to VisitGuernsey emails. The mailers highlight key events in the coming months, combined with two commercial spaces on each mailer, guaranteeing cut-through and exposure for advertisers.
An individual special offer in a single mailer is £200 and includes:
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An image of 600 pixels wide by 500 pixels tall
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100 words describing your offer
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A link to your website
To include your special offer in one of our exclusive mailers before the end of the year, email Jo Dyer to book your spot. Please note that remaining slots are limited and will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Guernsey International Dance Sport Championships
This week, organisers of the International Dance Sport Championships visited the Islands, ahead of Guernsey hosting the International Dance Sport Championships (a three-day event targeting grassroots and professional competitors from across the British Isles) in early December.
The event has received direct support from the Tourism Management Board, and is anticipated to attract up to 1,000 visitors, in addition to providing a valuable opportunity to showcase Guernsey as a destination for professional events.
As well as dancers from across the globe, local dance schools and community groups will also be able to showcase their talents, with the aim of appealing to a wide range of demographics.
Almost 2,500 enjoyed the return of Castle Nights
Held over 12 evenings from 5-16 August on the top lawn of Castle Cornet, the return of Twilight Cinema was a big success, with film-goers treated to their favourite films at one of the island’s most historic sites, with panoramic views of St Peter Port.
Of the 24 screenings, 18 were more than 80% booked, with half of all showings completely sold out. Twilight Cinema will return for 2025, with dates to be confirmed in spring next year. We thank you for supporting the event.
