Hotel occupancy rates "well above 70%" this summer

Tuesday 05 October 2021

Home Affairs is investigating further population management measures to help hospitality businesses build on a summer that reportedly saw 'pre-covid' levels of occupancy in local hotels.

The States will also soon launch a taxpayer-funded recruitment campaign for Guernsey hospitality, which is the first of its kind and which politicians says "shows the lengths we are going to" in support of the sector.

Hospitality businesses have received more than £18m of public money to help keep them afloat during the pandemic - which equates to around two-thirds of the total business support provided by the States since Covid first hit. 

"I think the States as a whole has gone and continues to go the extra mile for this sector because we recognise its cultural and economic importance to our island," said Home Affairs President Rob Prow. 

Pictured: Hotels remain eligible for States support through the Visitor Accommodation Support Scheme, which makes a fixed monthly payment for each bedroom or self-catering unit on a graded system. 

“Our Committee has introduced new policies under the population management regime and added a route for EU and EEA nationals not available with the UK Immigration points based system to support them, and we continue to examine what else we can do to help. 

“We are next week considering further changes to support businesses in this area.

He says the sector continues to receive more taxpayer-funded support than any other industry “because it has been through a very tough period”. 

The double whammy of both Brexit and the pandemic has seen many seasonal and semi-permanent workers return to their resident country and not return, according to several key players within the local hospitality scene. 

Economic Development announced last month that it would be launching a States-backed recruitment campaign on behalf of the industry to help promote Guernsey as a place to work for all tiers of hospitality staff.

"Occupancy rates for the summer season were well above 70%"

“We know how challenging recruitment is for the sector because of Brexit and Covid-19, this is not unique to Guernsey, and we are responding to that with urgency," said Economic Development President Neil Inder. 

"It’s equally important that hospitality businesses make themselves as attractive as possible for potential candidates, and we’ve asked the Guernsey Hospitality Association for suggestions as to how that can be achieved to put us in best position to compete.

“For our part, the States is about to launch a recruitment campaign on behalf of the sector. 

"We know that occupancy rates for the summer season were well above 70%, which our data tells us is about pre-Covid levels and is pretty impressive considering we’re still in a pandemic.”

Hospitality is one of the few sectors still able to claim business support.