TWO and three star hotels should not be forgotten about amid the flurry of new four- and five-star establishments, according to the head of the Jersey Hospitality Association.

In his round-up of 2008, Gerald Fletcher said that it was important that mid-market lodgings, which represents 70 per cent of available accommodation, was not over-shadowed by upper-market hotels.

‘We must cater for all accommodation providers,’ he said. ‘Where four- and five-star hotels are promoting their excellent product very effectively we must not forget the vital importance of the mid-market properties, which include two- and three-star hotels, guests houses, self-catering units and campsites. Losing sight of the importance of this sector would be a major mistake.’

With the tourism industry having taken a beating since the credit crunch, Mr Fletcher said that the right marketing was vital for tourism to get through the challenging year ahead. He said that Jersey Tourism’s 2009 marketing campaign, which will be launched on 8 January at Cineworld, must be properly targeted to bring tourists to the Island and therefore sustain air and sea links.