Travel before the end of year is "critical"

Monday 07 September 2020

More than 75% of respondents to a business survey want the island to move swiftly to repeat testing - and many feel that visitors having to wear masks or socially distance would be better than the current travel restrictions.

The Institute of Directors (IoD), the Guernsey International Business Association (GIBA) and the Guernsey Chamber of Commerce recently issued a joint survey to hear members’ opinions on business travel and the impact of the current border restrictions.

In responding, 55% of members said travel before the end of the year was of ‘high importance’ or ‘critical' for their business. The UK is deemed more important than trips to Jersey for business travel.

The most supported options for reducing the risks to the wider community were: repeat testing (78%); socially distancing business new arrivals (48%); and, face masks for new arrivals (48%). Only 9% of respondents supported community-wide restrictions.

Currently, 41% of respondents said that the seven-day isolation period will prevent all business travel. Conversely, 71% said that a test on arrival would restore their travel habits to pre-Covid levels.

Pictured: A plan to move to a shorter isolation period for travellers has been set out by the States, but there is no timeline for implementation yet.

The business groups says that the need for travellers to self-isolate for a 14-day or seven-day period means there is at present "little appetite" for business travel.

The next phase, 5(c), would see travellers from certain lower-risk countries tested on arrival, meaning isolation only until the test result is received. Commenting on the implementation of this phase, respondents said that there would be a negative impact on short inbound trips.

Charging for testing has also been mooted by the States of Guernsey.

"We hope charging would only be considered as a last resort," said Guernsey Chamber President Elaine Gray. "Our economic recovery has to be of utmost importance and boosting air and sea passengers is key to this. Travel should be accessible for all and small businesses particularly would struggle with additional costs."

Pictured: Guernsey Chamber President Elaine Gray said charging for testing would be a struggle for small businesses at an already precarious time. 

IoD Guernsey Chair John Clacy said: "The results provide important evidence to assist the States of Guernsey in their decision making and future planning. The global nature of Guernsey’s businesses often requires people to travel to the UK - and elsewhere - to market, network and generally build pipelines of new business, which has been reinforced with the results of this survey."

505 respondents completed the joint survey. The survey is planned to be repeated in Q4 2020 to establish business travel priorities for the new year.