Jersey 'on track' for one million visitors by 2030

Friday 28 December 2018

Jersey could be welcoming as many as one million visitors to its shores every year in little over a decade at a value of over £300million to the economy.

The island has received around 705,000 visits in the last year.

But Visit Jersey officials are now predicting that number is set to rocket by around half to reach one million yearly by 2030.

That means that, if current spending levels are maintained (around £346 per visit), the industry could end up generating in excess of £340million.

Pictured: Between January and September, tourism earned the island £231million.

The estimate comes at the end of what the island’s tourism promotion body has described as a “strong” year for the island.

The total amount spent on-island in the first nine months of this year was £231million, with £124million generated in the summer period leading up to September – a 7% increase on 2017.

This was apparently driven by a 3% increase in the number of visits (301,000) and a rise in the average spend per visitor.

Overnight visits rose by around 4%, meanwhile. Visit Jersey said they’d particularly observed a growing trend for short breaks of one to three nights (up 31%).

Pictured: German visitors are staying longer on the island, according to the latest figures, while French visitors have decreased.

However, 4% fewer people are staying for a whole week.

Despite traditionally being one of Jersey’s biggest visitor groups, French holidaymakers and daytrippers took a hit.

Amid technical problems that put the Manche Iles vessel out of action for a considerable time, numbers from France dipped by 4%.

There were more German visitors, however – a group that are also spending more nights in Jersey (up 23% during the quarter compared with the previous year).

Pictured: Manche Iles' ferry being out of action over summer hit the French visitor market.

Despite Skywork Airlines’ collapse in August, the island enjoyed a “strong three months” with regards to Swiss tourism, as well as visits from Netherlands and Ireland.

Visit Jersey also said increasing cruise stops on the island haf been of benefit – 40% more passengers are now sampling Jersey as a result, they said.

There are also more people visiting Jersey for the first time – those making their first trip went up by 50% between January and September.