Visit Jersey challenges extreme adventurer to bring in more visitors

Thursday 01 June 2017

He has cycled, swum and run the length of Britain - but for the Bank Holiday weekend, extreme adventurer Sean Conway was asked to take up a different challenge by Visit Jersey: pack in as many adventures as possible in a 48-hour #islandbreak.

The challenge is part of Visit Jersey's campaign to change perceptions and encourage new visitors to come to the Island, by demonstrating the sort of experience they can have.

Last year, Sean Conway completed the world's longest triathlon, 4,200 miles around the British coast. Although his trip in Jersey was probably not as gruelling as the "ultimate triathlon" experience, it still involved a lot of action and running around - but not much sleep, by his own admission. His action-packed program included swimming, road cycling, rock climbing, foraging, stand-up paddle boarding, hiking, trail running and even a bit of history with a stay in Fort Leicester in Bouley Bay. 

The adventurer came to Jersey with his photographer friend, James Carnegie. The two often go on short trips together , and their Jersey one seems to have pleased them, as Mr Conway told Express: "It was amazing, I absolutely loved it. Jersey is a really cool Island. I have been here before on business but it was the first time I was able to come over and enjoy Jersey activities.

"We have done so much in 48 hours but I definitely will be back. It was a crash course, an adventure tasting, I would love to be back to spend more time in here and take at least a whole day for each activity."

During his stay, Mr Conway posted lots of pictures and videos on social media to over 30,000 followers, which was actually the aim of Visit Jersey's challenge. As they work on their goal to attract one million tourists a year by 2030, they have been inviting "influencers" to the Island. The aim is for them to demonstrate the type of experience one can have in the Island to their followers, to inspire them to visit Jersey.

Meryl Le Feuvre, Trade Account Marketing Manager, explains: "We have been working with Sean and other influencers to try and tell Jersey story in a new way to inspire the community following them to come to Jersey. He captures the spirit of ‘find your freedom’ and as an influencer aims to shift perceptions of the island and encourage a new market of visitor. We have a number of them rolled out through the year. They all have different backgrounds as we aim to show the diversity of the product offering on the Island." 

In the hope to attract ever more visitors to the Island, Visit Jersey launched a four-part content series, ‘Find Your Freedom’ on Tuesday. It follows the experience of four visitors with different profiles, from sunrise to sunset on the Island.They as described as follows: "The Foodie Firefighter, an unlikely gastronome explores the culinary offering; The Surfing Grandpa, an experienced wave rider takes on Jersey’s smooth sets; The Hiking Hipster, a Doc Marten clad East Londoner hikes the stunning coastline; and The Cycling Cabbie, a London taxi driver trades in his four wheels for two on Jersey’s Green Lanes."

 Adam Caerlewy-Smith, Head of Marketing at Visit Jersey, said: “The Find Your Freedom content series is an example of the steps we are taking to encourage Brits to rethink the way they see Jersey and consider their next escape to our beautiful island.

“Each story in the four-part series demonstrates just some of the experiences visitors can have in Jersey; from culinary delights to catching the perfect wave. We’re proud to be able to share these stories and some of the breathtaking scenes of Jersey.”