Travel companies "on standby" as calls for road map intensify

Friday 26 February 2021

Transport operators are reporting a "significant spike" in interest from UK tourists this week, as senior figures in the industry call for a road map on the easing of Guernsey's border restrictions.

The Civil Contingencies Authority say it is too early to put a date on when 14-day self-isolation requirements for incoming travellers could be eased.

Members yesterday dismissed a claim by a fellow States member that 1 August had been pencilled in as a date by which borders would re-open.

Of course, logically, if we see prevalence rates in the UK go right down and we get vaccine rolled out to all adults by end July restrictions should ease considerably. It’s obvious really. However, the hard bit is deciding when to start easing off and how. Considering now.

— Heidi Soulsby (@HeidiSoulsby) February 25, 2021

Condor CEO Paul Luxon said traffic to the company's website had swelled by 46% in the 24 hours following Monday’s announcement by the British government of a relaxation in restrictions over the next few months.

The operator believes it is in prime position to capitalise on British holidaymakers seeking vacations close to home this summer. 

"Our website and sales teams have been busy handling enquiries from customers," he said. "It is too early to know if this translates into a spike in bookings, as both Guernsey and Jersey are both maintaining strict border and quarantine restrictions, so a road map from both governments for relaxing these will provide greater confidence and can only serve to boost the two visitor economies this year."

The British Government’s plan shows that a final decision on easing international travel restrictions will not happen until mid-May at the earliest.

"Amid this uncertainty over when foreign travel will be allowed, some holidaymakers have their sights set on a UK break or, as we call it, staycation plus, which includes the short crossing to the islands," said Mr Luxon.

Pictured: Mr Luxon called on the Channel Island Governments to set out a way forward from the current border restrictions as cases of Covid-19 subside. 

Blue Islands CEO Rob Veron said Boris Johnson’s speech to Parliament had provided optimism that travel will resume this summer. 

“While exact dates are still to be confirmed [...] we have seen a significant increase in website visitors and bookings. This is indicative of the pent-up demand we are expecting to see as travel restrictions begin to ease and confidence to book returns."

With Guernsey and Jersey in the Common Travel Area, it should mean less restrictions compared to international destinations once quarantine requirements are eased, said Mr Veron. 

“We are ready to restart flying our full network and we look forward to supporting the States of Guernsey and Government of Jersey together with Visit Guernsey and Visit Jersey to re-connect our island communities and support inbound tourism when local restrictions are eased.

"With the progress of the vaccine programme, we are standing by and looking forward to welcoming both our local customers, and visitors to our islands, on board again soon."

Pictured: Mr Veron said the continued roll-out of Guernsey and Jersey's vaccination programme is key to the return of off-island travel. Over 20,000 doses of a Covid-19 vaccine have been administered to date. 

During the course of the pandemic, Aurigny Chief Executive Nico Bezuidenhout said that pent-up demand for personal and business travel has reached "unprecedented levels".

“At Aurigny we watch with interest how the pandemic ebbs and flows and it is certainly encouraging to see the volume of infections coming down on the island. This is indeed a necessary and welcome first step to normality and our appreciation goes out to the Guernsey authorities and residents for getting us here.”

“We all yearn for some good news. We closely monitor how the pandemic is affecting other jurisdictions, especially those on our route map, and take note of developments as it relates to pandemic exit plans and how these might affect our business.

"Whilst these plans provide cause for optimism, it remains important to note the fundamental caveat that underscore any pandemic-related recovery plan: the overriding need to, in practice, have an environment that is safe for our employees, our passengers and the communities in which we operate. We continue to be encouraged by the fast pace of vaccination roll-out on the island, and in the core markets we serve, and this stands at the core of our recovery expectations.”  

Pictured: The Isle of Man route operated at maximum capacity last summer, which is viewed by Aurigny as a strong indicator of pent-up travel demand.

Mr Bezuidenhout continued: "In an environment mixed with uncertainty and cautious optimism, some things are more certain. We know there is a real desire for travel, and it is generally accepted throughout Aviation that short-haul air travel will recover faster than longer-haul or intercontinental travel.

"There is no doubt that pent-up travel demand, for both personal and business reasons, is reaching unprecedented levels, as we saw that last year with the high volumes of customers taking the opportunity to travel to the Isle of Man and Alderney.

"In the recent environment we continue to look for opportunities and in the short term that may be airbridges to safe destinations, however the first step now is to get back to operations within a Bailiwick ‘bubble’. The importance of Aurigny fulfilling its role as critical economic, social and medical lifeline provider, whilst evident throughout the pandemic, may be even more important as we emerge from the pandemic."