THE injection of £500,000 of public money into an advertising campaign to help boost the fortunes of the Island’s tourist industry is, without doubt, to be welcomed.

Tourism may now play a rather subdued second fiddle to financial services, our principal source of wealth, but it remains a vital part of the economic mix and its interests must be promoted.

Unfortunately, the £500,000 and the campaign that it will fund amount to emergency action rather than elements of a carefully planned strategy. The money is to be spent to counter the effects of a downturn that very few people managed to forecast at this time last year.

However, if a degree of short-termism can be excused on the grounds that exceptional troubles merit exceptional remedies, there are also many signs that the Island has for far too long done far too little to offer the right sort of support to an industry that was once the jewel in our commercial crown.

It is true that we have new hotels with the latest facilities, but we have taken too little trouble to ensure that other features of the Island match the modern holidaymaker’s expectations.

For example, in spite of efforts made to encourage urban renewal, too much of St Helier remains scruffy, unloved and down at heel. In addition, we appear to have a peculiar addiction to blighting the St Helier seafront with buildings which are ugly and intimidating rather than welcoming.

Meanwhile, for reasons which might be admirable from a health perspective but have nevertheless been damaging, we have eroded the Island’s reputation as a place for low-duty shopping for drink and tobacco to the point of extinction.

Add to this the new arrangements which will mean that visitors have to factor in health insurance when they calculate the cost of a Jersey holiday and the general picture looks increasingly bleak.

But there are also a great many positives — which the new advertising campaign should quite clearly highlight. Among these are unsurpassed coastal scenery, rich heritage and history, fine food and an atmosphere that combines the best of continental and British attributes.

If, finally, we can draw any comfort from present economic conditions, our UK visitors do not have to exchange sterling for expensive euros, and their continental counterparts will learn that their money goes an awfully long way if they choose to spend it here.