Guernsey Visitor Numbers Increase for a Second Quarter

VisitGuernsey has reported strong Q2 results, with the total number of staying visitors up 6.2%, compared to the same period in 2014. This follows healthy visitor numbers in Q1, which saw a 7.3% year on year increase in staying visitors.

Key stats for the Q2 period are a year on year increase of 11.3% in bed nights sold in commercial accommodation, total overnight stays up 10.7% and the average length of stay increasing by 4.3%

The tourist board believes that this can in part be attributed to its first TV ad in ten years which aired throughout February. The inaugural pan island Channel Islands Heritage Festival took place throughout April and May, which is also thought to have been a driver for visitors.

From April to June, Guernsey saw a significant increase in visiting friends and family (VFR) numbers of 34.4% (from 12,850 to 17,250). The staying VFR visitors travelling by sea increased year on year by95% (3,600) and staying VFR visitors travelling by air also increased by 24% (13,430).

Particularly positive are leisure day visitors travelling by airwith an increase of 84%. Staying leisure visitors travelling by air are also up by nearly 11%.

This positive second quarter spells a good year for tourism to Guernsey overall. From January to June 2015 there was an overall increase of 6.5% (to 102,000) in staying visitors. There were 456,100 overnight stays in Guernsey, an increase of 10.1%, with a 10.1%increase to 311,100 in bed nights sold in commercial accommodation. During the first six months of 2015 there has been a 3.2% increase in visitors to Guernsey from the UK (from 88,900 to 91,800).

This performance does not include the important and successful rise in cruise ship passengers which is up from 50,650 in Q2 2014 to 59,285 in Q2 2015, an impressive increase of 17.1%.

Mike Hopkins, Director of Marketing & Tourism, VisitGuernsey quotes,"We are delighted with Guernsey's performance for the first six months of 2015, which continues the strong growth we saw during 2014. It's encouraging to see this growth, especially in the number of bed nights sold and positive staying visitor numbers. Our local tourism industry, the trade and VisitGuernsey worked extremely hard to promote a very successful Channel Islands Heritage Festival and the 70th anniversary of Liberation celebrations which, supported by our new TV ad campaign, we believe helped to boost visitor numbers during Q2. The current peak season is shaping up well, and we are now promoting the Guernsey International Food Festival to help boost visitor numbers during the latter part of the season."

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