The number of visitors coming to Guernsey from France has more than doubled between the first few months of last year and this year.
However, there’s also been a notable decrease (15%) in the number of visitors coming here from elsewhere.
The numbers have come from the latest ‘Guernsey Quarterly Travel and Visitor Accommodation Bulletin’. It covers the first quarter of 2025.
The Tourism Management Board said it shows encouraging signs for the island’s visitor season, particularly with a notable return of business travel, and an improving Net Promoter Score, (NPS).
This data was gathered via surveys of departing passengers, alongside information from visitor accommodation providers and Guernsey Ports.
5,031 interviews were carried out, representing 11% of departing passengers between January and the end of March.
What the figures say
The total number of passengers, (both residents and visitors, including yacht passengers), leaving Guernsey in this period was 76,858.
This represents a 2% decrease compared to Q1 2024, (78,582 passengers), but it remains 6% higher than during the same period in 2023.
Aeroplane travel accounted for 84% of all departing passengers, totalling 64,753 people. This is 1% lower than Q1 2024 but 3% higher than Q1 2023.
Ferry travel saw 11,752 departing passengers, making up 15% of total passenger numbers. This is 8% lower than Q1 2024 but a significant 22% higher than Q1 2023.
There were no cruise ship visits to Guernsey during the first quarter of this year. However, a notable increase can be seen in the number of visiting yachts, which totalled 353 in Q1 2025 – an increase of 87% compared to Q1 2024, and 158% compared to Q1 2023.
Who is visiting
Guernsey defines visitors in different ways, including ‘staying visitors’ (those staying at least one night but no more than 30) and ‘day trip visitors’.
In Q1 2025, there were 21,928 staying visitors, which is 5% higher than Q1 2024 and a 1% increase on figures from Q1 2023.
The primary reasons for staying visits were visiting friends/family (45%), business (28%), leisure (22%), and other varying reasons for the remaining 5% of visitors.
Business travel for staying visitors increased by 16% compared to Q1 2024, with their average length of stay at 4.2 nights, meanwhile day trip visitors totalled 4,222 people in Q1 2025, a 6% increase from Q1 2024 and 14% higher than Q1 2023.
The main purpose for day trips was business (57%), which saw a 38% increase compared to Q1 2024.
Of all visitors travelling to Guernsey by aeroplane or ferry in Q1 2025, 73% were from the UK (a 9% increase compared to Q1 2024), 14% were from Jersey (a 7% decrease from Q1 2024), and 3% were from France. Visitors from France more than doubled (a 105% increase) compared to Q1 2024, and the remaining 9% of visitors came from elsewhere, which shows a 15% decrease from Q1 2024.
Where they’re staying
In Q1 2025, 58% of visitors stayed in hotels (12,718 people), 37% stayed with friends/family (8,089 people), and 5% stayed in “other accommodation” (1,121 people).
The average length of stay in hotels was 3.0 nights, while staying with friends/family averaged 5.8 nights.
In terms of available accommodation, 1,772 units were available in January, 1,704 in February, and 1,917 in March. The occupancy of these available units was 38% in January and 47% in both February and March 2025.
How the island stacks up
The Net Promoter Score (NPS), is used to gauge the overall experience of visitors.
It was 60 percentage points in Q1 2025 – an increase from 50 percentage points in Q1 2024 and 55 percentage points in Q1 2023.
The improvement is attributed by the States to a higher proportion of visitors giving top scores (9 or 10 out of 10), for their likelihood to recommend Guernsey as a destination to other people.
Visitors visiting friends and family gave the highest NPS (69 percentage points), followed by leisure visitors (66 percentage points).
Meanwhile, business travellers had the lowest NPS (48 percentage points), with many commenting that they did not “see much” during their visit.
The bulletin also noted that feedback included comments about Guernsey being a “beautiful, lovely place to visit” (17% of comments), and the friendliness of people (8% of comments).
However, the same proportion (8%) also commented on a “lack of things to do” and shops being closed on Sundays, particularly during winter months. The cost of flights, delays, and travel connections also featured in 8% of comments.