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In many ways, Jersey has been fighting a phoney war against corona virus. The families affected so far act as a clear reminder of why the government has taken this pandemic so seriously, even if you needed it, given the continuing news reports of the situation in the UK, where at the time of writing at the end of June, they are still finding about 1,000 news cases every day.
Set against that, are the strident arguments being put forward by the hospitality industry that unless our virus restrictions are relaxed soon, that sector simply will not recover. It’s worth pausing to consider that for a moment, as although their share of our economy no longer tops the list, the benefits to local life of a vibrant hospitality sector go way deeper - one of the positive effects of corona virus is that this summer, we all have he chance to fall in love with the island once again.
Rather than focussing on their centenary celebrations, Seymour Hotels are having to urgently reshape their business plans, and they explain that in more depth on page 16.
One of the major benefits of a vibrant tourism industry (which you don’t see directly in the GVA numbers) is the demand created for transport links, making them viable for operators to provide. If the tourists aren’t coming, nor will the flights, in anything like the same number, or variety of departure points. The CEO of the Ports of Jersey, Matt Thomas, has been at the heart of this critical aspect of Corona 2020, and he sets out how the island’s gateways plan to recover on page 22.
Providing the demand to sustain viable transport links is one of the functions of a healthy economy, and there is much work to do in Jersey to get back to that, as the effects of our reaction to corona continue to be felt across the sectors.
Following the life support provided to many businesses via the government’s salary co-pay scheme, attention is focusing now on how to actually stimulate their recovery - starting on page 4, the Chamber of Commerce puts forward a selection of ideas. What underpins them all is the need to act quickly and boldly, if recovery is going to be more than just an empty political aspiration.
If you have other ideas, email them to editor@bailiwickexpress.com
Enjoy Connect.
