All aboard Alderney

Alderney is trying to attract more people and businesses.

The island will be represented at a London exhibition this weekend as it works on raising its profile as a low-tax jurisdiction with no property buying restrictions.

Alderney's three square miles are made up of sandy beaches, cobbled streets and stunning landscapes.

There is a single rate of tax, no VAT and anyone can buy a property, but the island is being forced to work hard at encouraging people to move here.

States chief executive Roy Burke has arranged for Alderney to be represented at this weekends Emigrate exhibition in London. He hopes the event will encourage families and businesses to relocate.

He said: "The economy in Alderney at the moment is a little bit depressed. It's the same the world over, Alderney's no different, and this is an opportunity for Alderney to market itself better, to people who are at the moment looking to move out of the United Kingdom, and why not come to Alderney? It's a beautiful place; we've got a lot to offer."

Mr Burke, who arrived in the island ten months ago, is acutely aware that not many people in the UK realise that Alderney even exists.

He said: "I think we have a little bit of difficulty here on our marketing strategy, in that a very large number of people don't know where Alderney is and certainly dont know the advantage that Alderney has over some of the other Channel Islands. In particular I think the housing market here is accessible to people from the United Kingdom but its not quite as easy to get to as Guernsey and Jersey.

"We need to be more proactive in the way in which we market Alderney. We need to maintain Alderneys tranquil lifestyle but at the end of the day we need a few more people to live and work here."

So more bodies are needed to improve Alderney's economy.

But first the States needs to shine a light on its assets and significantly raise the profile of the third largest Channel Island. (from CTV)