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More than 100,000 visitors came to the islands during the last three months of 2023 which is another increase on previous-post pandemic figures but it is still down on 2019's stats.
The total number of (resident and visiting) passengers (including any cruise and yacht passengers) departing Guernsey was 101,248 during quarter four 2023 - up 11% from the same period during 2022 but down 12% on 2019.
Pictured: Most people travelling to the Bailiwick during the winter months do so to visit family or friends.
Of those who made a trip to Guernsey (and potentially on to another island in the Bailiwick) between October and November 2023, the vast majority came from the UK and were travelling by aeroplane and had stayed for anything between one and 30 nights.
The average length of stay for autumn and winter tourists is 4.3 nights with hotels their preferred place to stay, although a third did stay with relatives or friends.
The Bailiwick's Tourism Management Board said this latest data - released by the States yesterday - shows the islands' tourist industry is "continuing its positive recovery, with many indicators from the latest Guernsey Quarterly Travel and Visitor Accommodation Bulletin showing an increase between 2022 and 2023".
Hannah Beacom, Chair of the Tourism Management Board, said even though the travel and visitor numbers are still lower than they were in 2019, quarter four in 2023 showed an improved position compared to the same period in 2022.
Pictured: The number of people travelling during the winter months is edging back towards pre-pandemic figures.
"While quarter 1 and Quarter 4 are understandably traditionally quieter than the spring and summer months, it is encouraging to see about 10,000 more passengers during October-December 2023 than the same period in 2022. It’s important to remember passenger numbers include residents travelling as well as visitors, but nevertheless the increase is another sign that we’re continuing to head in the right direction.
"We’re hopeful that 2024 will be a really positive year for the industry and now we need to collectively focus on increasing the value of tourism to the economy in arrival numbers but importantly also in length of stay and visitor spend, as we seek to get back to pre-pandemic levels and then grow our tourism offering further."
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