JERSEY TOURISM’S MISSING LINK…..?
People, Partnerships, Product, Passion and Pride
Tourism touches everyone. A thriving and sustainable tourism industry not only supports
those directly involved in the hospitality industry – it also has the power to enhance the
lives of the host population. It might be enhanced access links and public transport,
career opportunities, entrepreneurship, enterprise, improved utilities and infrastructure,
heritage and conservation, environmental management, high quality restaurants, special
events, a thriving construction industry, enhanced national image and the ability to
attract more inward investment – the list goes on.
My talk today poses a question - Jersey Tourism’s missing link….? I think the answer lies
in two of the five Ps. The five Ps, you may well be asking yourselves…? I believe that
success in virtually any type of business boils down to the five Ps.
The first of those is PEOPLE. Have you got the right team, the requisite mix of skills,
experience, drive, ambition, vision and team spirit all focused on measurable results..…?
In the early ‘80s, when I started my career in the travel industry, many tourist boards
were managed by light weights at best, political favourites at worst – I remember doing
the PR for a well known European destination and meeting my new Director of Tourism
for the first time. His background was in – pharmacy. Yes – he ran a small chemist shop
but he was keen for his children to have a private education in the UK and for his wife to
enjoy a spell of the high life in London. His best friend from school was the newlyappointed Minister of Tourism.
Largely, those days are long gone – and one of the main reasons is that tourism is
recognised by governments and local authorities as a core contributor to economic
development and so much more. Success requires outstanding professionals with
commercial savvy, flair and relevant experience.
I am confident that Visit Jersey has the right people – I am hugely impressed by Keith
and his team. Less than a year on from its inception, Visit Jersey is still in its very early
stages but I don’t think anyone could disagree that progress to date is impressive, not
least in the shape of the Destination Plan. I am in no doubt that Jersey will reap the
benefits as the results of their work bear fruit in the shape of visitor numbers – one
million by 2030 – and increased contribution to Jersey’s GVA.
PARTNERSHIP is my next P – are you working with the right suppliers, are you
engaging with them and with your customers, are government agencies working with
each other effectively, have your primary stakeholders bought in to your vision and are
they harnessing opportunities for cooperation and partnership?
In Visit Jersey’s case, recent months have witnessed significant developments in key
partnerships with new airline routes lined up for 2016, a new partnership with Jersey’s
Attractions Group and key account management programmes with trade partners.
Take the recent announcement that the Ports of Jersey, Visit Jersey and Heritage Jersey
are to work hand in hand to enhance the visitor experience an exciting new Visitor
Centre at the Museum and improved dissemination of visitor information on island and
online. It’s an outstanding example of the level of professionalism, cooperation,
problem-solving, flexibility and visionary partnership which I think typifies Jersey and, let
me tell you, it’s a rare beast in the wider world!
I do think there is significant scope to enhance Jersey’s partnerships further, moving
forward. There’s are powerful potential synergies between tourism and finance, Locate
Jersey and agriculture/food for example – and from promoting tourism hand in hand
with the other Channel Islands for a more powerful regional voice. However, it’s my
view that partnership is not the missing link at this stage.
Let’s move on to P number 3 – PRODUCT. I was gobsmacked when I read the results
of Visit Jersey’s survey amongst tourism stakeholders on-island. When asked the
question “What do you feel should be Visit Jersey’s main priority, the majority answered
“improve the product”. I was gobsmacked because Jersey punches way above its weight
when it comes to product – and every single exit survey indicates that the vast majority
of visitors love their Jersey experience – we just have to get them here!
I’m hard-pressed to come up with many if any small island destinations which boast all
that Jersey offers within its 120 sq kms.
 Beaches
 unspoiled scenery
 quality hotels and service
 outstanding local transport links
 no industrial pollution
 diverse restaurants
 a rich history
 superbly-stewarded heritage
 iconic food which is exported throughout the world
 fishing, scuba-diving, surfing
 wildlife centres
 kids activities
 walking trails
 an active National Trust
 superb shopping
 quality art and crafts
- and all accessible from its main market via more than 30 airports and four ferry ports.
That’s your home, your island – Jersey.
It’s my personal view that the quality of the Jersey visitor experience is outstanding – I
say that as someone who has worked in tourism since 1982, and has holidayed and
travelled for work to all continents across the world.
It’s not just me! The 2014 qualitative exit survey indicated an impressive 81% rating
Jersey offering good value for money – and a staggering 91% rated their overall Jersey
experience as good or very good. Those are the sort of ratings that most destinations
dream of achieving.
I often hear comments from people living in Jersey that it's too expensive and how it
was much more successful when it was cheaper “in the good old days”. Certainly, my
partner and his friends came to Jersey throughout the late ‘70s and early ‘80s because it
was cheap, accessible and relatively exotic. It cost them £11 for a ferry ticket including
their motorbikes, 200 cigarettes and a bottle of spirits!
They haven’t stopped coming here because it’s too expensive now – it’s because it’s
gone off their radar.
No-one can call Spain and Greece cheap any more – back in the ‘80s, it was cheaper to
go there than to stay at home but that is no longer the case. And yet Brits are still
flocking to both destinations. I think it’s vital to view the cost of anything in terms of
value for money.
Jersey has a lot in common with the Cayman Islands, for which I was European director
of tourism in the 1990s. I battled with local naysayers on island who felt that we were
wasting our time and could never attract tourists from the UK and rest of Europe. Well,
once we had established a direct air route with British Airways, arrivals soared (albeit
from a very small base). BA now flies there 4 times a week. It’s one of the Caribbean’s
most expensive destinations but it delivers a fantastic experience – 10% of visitors now
come from the UK & Europe with a much longer average length of stay when compared
to the US.
My point is that the product is delivering a great experience – and that’s just what
Jersey does.
Compared to key competitor destinations such as Devon and Cornwall, Jersey does have
a relative lack of the sort of self-catering holiday accommodation that appeals to many –
cottage and family house rentals, holiday parks for example – but it’s a relative lack. I
think what’s been lacking more is awareness of the diverse range of accommodation
options available on Jersey from world-class hotels to glamping.
We are left with two more Ps – they are PRIDE and PASSION – which I believe go
hand in hand. Pride in what you have and a passion for what you do.
I remember going to Barcelona for a long weekend with friends in 1993, the year after
they hosted the Olympic Games. My mother has kept some postcards from my various
travels around the world and this is what I wrote from Barcelona: “This place is
infectious – everyone is so proud of their city, it’s hard not to get swept up in it all.
Wow!”
Jersey is undoubtedly a warm and friendly destination but boy – do you know how to
moan!
Back in 2011, Bermuda’s National Tourism Plan identified two key constraints to growth
- “Limited local human resources capacity and lack of pride in sector”. They introduced
the Certified Tourism Ambassadors programme. The aim was to educate front line
tourism workers in Bermuda’s history, culture and geography, train them in how to sell
to visitors by engaging with them. There are now 400 CTAs and in 2015, Bermuda
Tourism attributed an increase in visitor spending partly to the success of the
programme.
I actually think that everyone who lives in Jersey has the potential to be an unofficial
Tourism Ambassador – but not when you're moaning about the morning commute,
roadworks and politics!
Trust me, you have so much to feel proud of – and passionate about.
As managing director of Caribtours, I visited Anguilla, where the average cost of a
holiday from the UK is in the region of £12,000 for a couple. On arrival, there were two
immigration channels – “Belongers” and “Non Belongers”. Welcome to Anguilla!
I understand economic realities but it always grates with me to see “Wealth
Management” plastered all over the facia of Jersey airport as you step off and on the
plane!
Four months after the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, I gave up my job and
went to Sri Lanka as a volunteer. I found myself something of a square peg in a round
hole – a businesswoman set amongst career aid and development workers (half my
age!). They spoke in different tongues with more buzzwords and acronyms than I’ve
had hot dinners. One of the key buzzwords was “stakeholders”. Every project I was
involved in had a diverse group of stakeholders – villagers, school children, local
councillors, hospitality providers, shop-keepers, priests, bankers, money lenders etc etc.
Regardless of what you do, I think that every one of you, your families, colleagues and
friends here in Jersey are stakeholders in tourism.
Yes – tourism numbers have dwindled substantially and Jersey has to (and will) re-find
its voice in the global tourism market.
But you are all part of that voice – be proud, share your passion. It’s infectious!
Catherine Leech
Catherine@101holidays.co.uk
@catherineleech
20th January 2016