Wanted: somewhere to give a 'genuine Jersey' welcome

Wednesday 20 September 2017

Do you know a spot fit to give a world class welcome to Jersey’s visitors?

The island’s Tourist Information Centre is on the hunt for what will become its third home in three years.

Previously housed at Liberation Place, the information hub moved to Jersey Museum in February 2016 as part of a two-year partnership with Ports of Jersey, which delivered 'front-of-house' services. But Visit Jersey research found that some visitors thought that it was hard to find.

Now they are searching for a new location that will both welcome tourists and give them a flavour of the ‘real Jersey’ and all it has to offer from April 2018 to 2021.

Pictured: The Tourist Information Centre moved from Liberation Place to Jersey Museum last year.

But while potato plantations or panoramic seaside shacks might spring to mind, the tourism promotion body have been clear about their criteria and advocate a strong technology-forward approach. 

Minimum requirements include:

• an open room with 'island' desk and visitor reception area;
• free high-speed Wi-Fi and interactive technologies;
• flexible opening times dependent on seasonality;
• enthusiastic, experienced and tech-literate staff;
• a personalised service, that makes the visitor feel like a special guest for a couple of minutes.

“This is a gateway role and must be an environment which is modern and inspiring, where technology in all forms is being deployed effectively and where efficient, professional and friendly customer service is paramount… Our aim is to create a setting that puts visitor engagement at the core, by combining both traditional service encounters with the latest interactive technologies,” Visit Jersey’s invitation to tender reads.

Pictured: Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit the island each year arriving at the island's ports - the Tourist Information Centre helps them to find the hotspots.

Over 350,000 holidaymakers stepped foot in Jersey last year. Top visitors include French and German people, while tourists from the Netherlands and Denmark also make up a percentage of the market. Visit Jersey hope that the operator of the new information centre will show cultural sensitivity to each visitor’s needs, whilst also being able to offer a variety of options depending on whether it’s their first time in Jersey or one trip of many.

Applications will be evaluated by three Visit Jersey staff – CEO Keith Beecham, Head of Product Meryl Le Feuvre and Head of Corporate Services Oliver Archbold – and Independent Advisor Rebecca Keating.

The deadline for applications is midday on 30 October, with the final decision made in the first week of December.