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Combined total visitor spend in Guernsey during 2019 has been estimated at £145.9M.
Results from a new Visitor Spend Survey Report demonstrated the average spend per visitor travelling by ferry and by air between April and September 2019 was £554 per visitor (an estimated calendar year spend of £142M ). This increased to £704 for staying leisure visitors, the highest value segment of the visitor market. Staying leisure visitor numbers also increased by +2% across 2019 versus 2018 to 136,862, an increase of +2,676 visitors.
Overall, the total market of departing visitors including cruise and visiting yacht passengers stood at 413,694 visitors during 2019 – a fall of -1% (-4,185 visitors) versus 2018. This decline was primarily due to a fall in cruise ship passengers of -3%, 3,465 fewer cruise visitors disembarking in Guernsey versus 2018.
Cruise passenger spend in Guernsey, however, was estimated at £3.9M during 2019, an average spend per cruise passenger of £34.
Excluding cruise ship passengers and visiting yachtsmen, total visitors travelling by sea and air remained stable in 2019, with 281,581 visitors (+1,106 more visitors than in 2018).
29,452 visitors during 2019 were from France, a strong uplift of +45% compared with 2018. This equated to an additional +9,109 French visitors and followed increased marketing in France as a result of an award of extra budget from the Committee for Economic Development in the lead up to and following the re-opening of Hauteville House.
Mike Hopkins, Director of Marketing & Tourism commented: “2019 has been a positive year for staying leisure visitor growth, the key target segment of Guernsey’s tourism market in terms of both visitor volume and spend value. Following more than 20 years of decline, it is particularly encouraging to see the stabilisation and modest increase of staying leisure visitors, which started in 2015, continue into 2019.
Mr Hopkins added: “It is also encouraging to see the strong uplift in French visitors following increased marketing and PR investment supported by the Committee last year. Further initiatives to capitalise on Guernsey’s unique Victor Hugo heritage are planned for the 2020 season, including a Victor Hugo Garden at Candie, along with the launch of a new Victor Hugo Trail, with information boards displayed at key Hugo locations around the Island”.
Deputy Joe Mooney, member of the Committee for Economic Development said: “The Committee for Economic Development is committed to supporting the delivery of the recently published Guernsey Tourism Ten Point Plan 2020-2025. The importance of tourism to The Islands of Guernsey cannot be underestimated. Visitors were estimated to have spent almost £146M last year on a mix of travel, accommodation, retail shopping, food, visiting attractions, going on tours and so forth. They contributed almost half of all air travel to and from Guernsey in 2019 and over two thirds of all sea ferry travel. A robust and healthy visitor market is critical to the ongoing sustainability of the island’s transport links, and to the restaurants, attractions and shops that islanders so enjoy”.
Image Credit: Visit Guernsey
