Jersey Tourism fears a drop in full-price bookings

THE tourism industry will be holding its collective breath in the first two months of 2009 amid fears that full-price booking levels could be well below the levels of past years.
The industry needs potential tourists to be prepared to pay advertised prices in the crucial months of January and February if a financial crisis is to be averted. And taxpayers’ money will be used to boost visitor numbers if it looks as though tourist numbers will be down sharply.
Many key figures in the industry are privately predicting that hotels and guest houses will slash rates as early as March to attract enough tourists to keep businesses viable. And one well-known industry figure, who declined to be publicly named, said: ‘It will be meltdown in some areas if high-value booking numbers drop as much as some people fear.’
However, the Christmas and New Year period appears to have been reasonable, with hotels reporting decent occupancy levels compared to previous years. But with the UK economy predicted to be spiralling into a deep recession early in 2009, the prospects for next year are worrying many people.(from thisisjersey)

So Jersey States reckon that there will be a drop and Guernsey States think because the £ is lower Guernsey will benefit.

So who is right?

If either states want to help they should look at the landing fees first.

I do think some that would have come normally will now stay away because of the finacial situation but hope that they will be replaced by others that will come because of the £s Value instaed of going to the continent.

so I am not expecting things to be much different to this year.

not just the landing fees but condors extortionate prices too.

If you dont know what their costs are how can you call the prices extortionate,

easy they always have been.

In your opinion, As I said before I doubt they made a profit this year on passengers (thats what I have heard) so if they did not make a profit how can they be charging too much.

Sometimes lower prices do not encourage enough extra business to make the reductions worthwhile.

there are not tens of thousands of extra passengers out there if the prices where dropped to what you might call a reasonable price,

Out of interest how much do you thing is reasonable for a Car, 2 Passengers and a Cabin return to the UK?

£200/£300 maybe we could compare it to other sea ferry prices .will look at it after the holiday.

Listen the States got a black hole to fill, you have not chance at them reducing the rates

But be honest the horse has bolted the states have not had any real interest in tourism for some time and its too late now to stop the rot

Never too late to change direction you just have to have the will to do in, both Guernsey and Jersey have got rid of a lot of the poorer accommodation most of what is left is reasonable to good, there would have to be some new developement on hotels etc and an incentive for people to invest in things that tourists need but anything that is only of interest to tourists would probably fail so must be of use to locals as well.

If you make it reasonably inexpensive for people to come to the islands they probably will as there are advantages to coming here over longer haul flights.

there also need to be co-operation between everyone in the tourist industry, In guernsey nobody works with others, hotels will not advertise another place in fear of guests not drinking in their bar,

Their seems little interest in the transport people to try and put a package together to take people from a hotel and to another venue and take them back again.

Tourism is still woth saving and the states cutting the landing fees a few pounds would help.

Each person that comes here must produce a significant amount of profit for local businesses which in turn increases taxes paid Also and more important now than before we need to keep people employed, so the more that come the more taxes are paid and some say the cheaper it is to get here the more that will come.