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Jersey's key tourism promotion body has appointed an Interim CEO and the award-winning agency that has handled Jack Daniels' PR for more than 30 years as it gears up for the new year.
In a farewell email to industry partners sent last night, Visit Jersey's outgoing Chief Executive Amanda Burns confirmed she would be handing on the baton to Claire Lyons in the immediate term, while efforts to recruit a permanent replacement continue.
Ms Lyons led Jersey Finance's Marketing team for almost four years.
"I leave the organisation in great hands with someone who knows Jersey incredibly well and is dedicated to continuing the recovery and growth of our visitor economy and supporting the fantastic team," Ms Burns said.
Ms Burns joined Visit Jersey in the midst of the pandemic in 2020, having previously worked at Great Western Railway, where she spearheaded the award-winning 'Famous Five' campaign.
Video: An advert from GWR’s ‘Adventures Start Here’ campaign, which was coordinated by the outgoing Visit Jersey head in her previous role.
Reflecting on 2022 as a "year of transition", Ms Burns said she was "incredibly proud" of what the industry had achieved following the pandemic.
There were 677,949 passenger arrivals recorded between January and September - a 158.2% increase compared to the same period in 2021.
Ms Burns said the data was evidence that tourism was "on the path to recovery", adding that "in many cases there have been some very welcome improvements – from average length of stay increasing from 4.4 to 5.0 days compared to 2019, to our Net Promoter Score in Q2 being the highest on record for this period at +70."
"This clearly demonstrates the appeal of Jersey to travellers and how the island delivers so well on visitor experiences, and highlights the potential for further growth and productivity in the future," she said.
A key success this year was being ranked as the number one island destination in the British Isles according to the Conde Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards 2022, beating off competition from the likes of Greek islands Santorini and Mykonos.
In the hope of securing further PR 'wins' in 2023, Visit Jersey has now appointed global marketing agency 'FINN Partners' to lead its UK communications.
The firm's clients range from destinations including New York, Antigua, Dubai and Iceland to brands like Jack Daniels, the Body Shop and NutriBullet.
Concluding her message, Ms Burns shared her "very grateful thanks to everyone I have worked with for your support and encouragement".
Pictured: FINN Partners, which has worked with global brands like Jack Daniels, has been recruited to help Visit Jersey with its UK communications.
"I will always remember the kindness and hospitality with which I was welcomed, at one of the most challenging times for our industry," she added.
"Jersey is a truly special and unique destination and the ongoing support shown to me is testament to what makes tourism in Jersey so special. I wish you every success in the future."
Amanda Burns was previously a Connect Magazine cover star - read the interview with her below or by clicking here...
Pictured top: Outgoing Visit Jersey CEO Amanda Burns. (Max Burnett)
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