That model of tourism has gone for good. No late arrival will have trouble finding a bed this Battle of Flowers week, with reports predicting between 70 and 85 per cent hotel occupancy in August. Take into account the fact that there are many thousands fewer tourist beds than in the industry’s heyday and it quickly becomes clear how dramatically the profile of what was Jersey’s premier industry for 30 or 40 years has changed.
It is, however, very far from being an industry without a future. Jersey is, as it always was, a wonderful place for a holiday, and our geographical and historical good fortune have provided the foundations on which, with sufficient support and imagination, tourism can continue to be successfully revived in a more streamlined, modern form.
Jersey Hospitality Association chairman Robert Jones has described this first credit crunch season as ‘challenging, but not disastrous’. The prospects for the Island’s holiday and leisure industry as a whole might also be described as challenging, but its survival and development are vital to our economic well-being and that challenge must be met with continued investment, both public and private.
There must also be an investment of faith in tourism from Islanders in general. A successful hospitality industry needs to engage the hearts and minds of the whole community in order to generate a welcoming atmosphere and send visitors home happy.
Sunny summer days in beautiful Jersey, the ever-impressive panache and community spirit of the Battle of Flowers, the success of home-grown festivals and the recent campaigns to remind us of the many pleasures of a holiday at home are among the ingredients which demonstrate that successful tourism can enhance the quality of life for everyone, as well as being the natural main answer to Jersey’s long quest for economic diversification.
Many peripheral problems, ranging from tatty streets to overpriced fares, remain to be overcome before the hospitality industry can fully reclaim its rightful place, but this week is a particularly good one in which to reflect that Jersey cannot afford to neglect them.
