‘Jersey has too many attractions’
Wednesday 31st March 2010, 2:57PM BST.
Hamptonne country museum is one of the attractions run by Jersey Heritage
AN independent report has found that too many attractions in Jersey and not enough people to visit them lie at the heart of Jersey Heritage’s financial problems.
UK firm Locum Consulting were commissioned by the Economic Development Department to look at Heritage’s performance.
It said: ‘There is evidence of displacement and cannibalisation in the Jersey attractions market. We consider that Jersey is over-supplied with formal attractions, given the size of the available markets.’
The trust is operating at an annual loss of £555,000 and needs an additional £465,000 per year to fund long-term maintenance works and future investment.
The report issued the stark warning that ‘the financial situation is therefore severe and drastic action will need to be taken to return the trust to a long-term sustainable business model.’
Read the full story in the Jersey Evening Post. Click here for subscription details. Individual editions are also available online.
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Hardly supprising, they are of course an inspiration for the younger generation to visit.
What young family would want to take their children to see an old barn!!
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Jersey has too may attractions, too right there’s the… mmm, you know the thingy. And the whatsit and all the beaches, and of course the Fort.
Yep there’s just too much to do here.
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Too many attractions, so why kids have nothing to do in Jersey then apart than going to the beach in summer months and hanging in the streets the rest of it?
If they cut down on staff they should make profit and not loss maybe.
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They should of added that the current attractions are over priced and boring.
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And another costly consultant was needed to state the obvious!!
Any clown in the industry locally knows that we are not getting enough “new blood” visiting here & if they are returning visitors the likelihood that they will pay another admission fee to see what they have previously is very unlikely.
They should have given the money it cost to the attractions might keep them going a bit longer.
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Nice to see Tourism is alive and well !!!
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There are no tourists anymore! Wake up and smell the coffee. Jersey is no longer a desirable destination, simply an annex of any UK regional city, but more expensive in all aspects.
Like so many things here, it needs a good shake up and re-think. There is little here for the modern holiday maker. Nice beaches and a few ( okay stunning ) castles and views.
Come on Tourism less of the complacency and drag Jersey into the 21 century.
Something will have to give with the inevitable slow decline of Finance. Nothing like under investing in one industry, putting all and I mean all the eggs in another basket, then being surprised by a £64 million black hole!!
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st. peters bunker, car museum,candle craft,heather brai farm, fantastic tropical gardens, shire horse farm, occupation museum on esplanade,fort regent funfair,roller blades and side shows, with cable cars,le tacq woodcraft, to name but a few,have all gone and the reason is you dont like tourists, the very people who kept all these atractions alive and well for many seasons. i am a sorry to say you are a island that is up its self. you get the holiday maker bqack and all you atractions will stay open plus some. dont waste your money on special groupes from mainland telling you what you need listen to some of your old customers.
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TOO MANY ATTRACTIONS???? Surely that should be too many Heritage attractions. If you’re not into castles there are only 3 days’ worth of things to see on a week’s holiday – look at the tourist’s reviews on websites.
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Well what genius came up with this litte hummer..Not enough bums on seats,..! ask any cafe owner ,taxi driver,or pub…they could have told us that for Ziltch…whoever made the decision to engage these wizards of observation…you squandered our money..I can hardly believe we go outside to get skewed perspective on what we already know,but then getting in a specialist takes the decision maker out of the spotlight and we have many civil servants drawing down big money for doing just this passing responsibility by engaging experts instead of shouldering responsibility and doing what they’re paid to. we the public are not so daft and are on to you,and as my dad used to say the X stands for the unknown and a spert is merely a drip under pressure,come on someone show some spine.
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as a visitor of 23yrs im disgusted that the heritage trust as taken this stance. i with my family have always suppoted the heritage trust.wew come over every year twice ayear 6wks in all.jersey as lost too much in attractions for the tourist to visit.now you have taken another one away.hamptonne is a delightful and historic place to visit.now this will be gone what is left for the visitor.you moan that tourists dont come over,but there are hardly any attractions for tourists now.durrell yes,castles yes but nothing much to do at elizabeth.maritime yes it attracts people interested in the sea.where as hamptonne appealed to everybody young and old.its part of your history you should be proud of it.not destroying it.on one hand you want the tourist back,on the other you dont want to have the attractions for them to go and visit.you cant have the best of both worlds.closed fantastic tropical gardens,shire horse farm .woodcraft,candlecraft.motor museum,micro world.occupation museum in town,the crucible,now add to that list hamptonne and living legend.what is there to bring the tourist over nothing.add to this the 2 flower centers of flying flowers and sunset nurseries and the butterfly farm.jersey going down hill fast.all the shows that have been put on in the hotels and fort regent lost.as i have said nothing for the tourist to bring them back.what was a lovely tourist island to visit as now got nothing to bring them back.
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re number 8 jay.doe.i agree with him entirely.i fell in love with the island in the 1980s.my family grew up and learnt alot about your history by spending thier holidays in jersey gone are all those places that jay mentioned.as a family we went to them all.they were an important part of our holiday,year in year out.hamptonne also became a place that we grew to love and visit several times during our holidays.yes they do need to listen to old and valid customers.
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Too many of the same old same old more like.
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HA,HA,you almost had me there with that one.
However i would kindly like to inform you that April fools is tomorrow!
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Yes,I think that there are too many attractions here of the Heritage type and not attractive to todays youth.People today don’t want to look around musty old castles and barns of the past.With the cost of travel and Hotels tourists have diminished,this leads to noone interested to invest in any exciting amenities.A few years down the line we will have no Tourism and no amenities.
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Bring in the cruise ships!
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Good points mistershifter and truthseeker though others will strongly disagree as they think finance is marvellous and here to stay.
To those in charge if you want more tourists slash travel costs to Jersey. If you want more tourists stop trying to turn Jersey into an English suburb. Simple really and that piece of advice didn’t cost £100,000 £200,000 £500,000 delete as necessary.
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What attractions??..can count them on one finger.
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Jersey was popular years ago because of the cheap drink, cheap cigarette and good shows/entertainment. Now all of this has gone we dont even have any decent entertainment venues anymore. The Island is dying a death, the pubs and restaurants are all struggling. What are you supposed to do of an evening here, most nights St Helier is like a ghost town after 9pm. We need something to attract young people and families with children who will also enjoy our beautful beaches.
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19
Its like a ghost town daytime as well.
Lunch time is about the only time you see a bit of life with workers shopping.
The days of wine and roses are gone forever,we would need a miracle now to revive this once booming island.
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Too many attractions …. Your having a laugh right ?
Who came over and did this “report” …. Stevie Wonder?
They are simply not looking at the bigger picture ( again). Yes, too few people are visiting heritage sites. But that’s because too few people are visiting Jersey in the first place.
What is there to do for a young family apart from cracking beaches. Not a lot. Add a week of unseasonal rain to your already sky high holiday cost and they wont come back again or recommend this place to anyone else.
Some things we can do to bring people over ( get a pen and paper Tourism).
1. We have the Fort, mostly unused. Bring in some quality summertime acts for people to enjoy and keep coming back for.
2. Water sports – we have some of the best surf in the UK …. Make this place a mecca for surfers, sailing and diving.
3. Bring down the flipping cost of the landing fees and encourage some other budget airlines to add Jersey to their routes.
4. Negotiate with a TV producer to get a series made over here ( Bergerec junior anyone?).
5. An amusement park would be nice. What about at the Fort, plenty of space up there.
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Back in the “good old days” of tourism in the 60s, 70s and even 80s, Jersey was not competing with cheap package holidays to places where the sun is GUARANTEED to shine such as Florida. It was not competiing with flghts to from the UK to New York for shopping trips. Disneyland Paris had not been thought of and people accepted cabaret and cover versions by those not up to playing the more prestigeous UK venues as “entertainment”.
We can no longer rely on our unreliable “sunshine”, lounge singers, cheap goods and Fort Regent ( what is left of it ) when people can readily have the beaches of any country in the world, big name entertainers in concert in prestige locations and retail therapy in the world’s capitals…..all at the click of a mouse.
We need to identify what Jersey can REALISTICALLY provide in the face of the VERY REAL competition.
People want a readily accessible destination ~ THAT we CAN manage.
If not corporate visitors in search of conference facilities, which we CAN do,
ordinary people want good weather or a place that caters for them in bad…..such as Centre Parks. Why we could not have had a fantastic marine themed park with plenty of interior options on the Waterfront Site instead of filling it with randon, ugly developnments, I have no idea….but then I am no politician or planner.
We DO “culture” well, but not enough is made of it and we also do “History” well, and the castles, the museums and Hamptonne are all excellent destinations with children but perhps we DO need more human “performance” there to help explain and bring the exhibits to life.
And as for “Durrell” ( of which I am a long time member and supporter ) , a potentially WORLD CLASS attraction, whose brainwave was it to rename ~ oh, sorry, “reBRAND” a recognisable zoo with a name only fans of the wonderful Geralds’s book will recognise?
“Zoo” after all is what Gerald Durrell HIMSELF called his enterprise. It is short for “Zoological”, a SCIENTIFIC term for the serious study of animal life….sure this abbreviation, “Zoo”, understood by all is good enough and turns fee paying visitors in the right direction? Educate them as to what a Zoo should be once they are there but for goodness sake just get the audience first!
Then, what about the Race course at les Landes? Thousand flock there each meeting for a wonderful season with top class horses and what do they have in terms of facilities….a bank, noisy ice cream vans, burger stands and canvas tents. Our Race club is a great institution, again, I am a member, and I am not belittling it in any way but I AM criticising Sport Leisure and Recreation for NOT recognising a wonderful opportunity for building a first rate stand and facilities that would have been no more obstrusive than that bank, with a restaurant and room for corporate hospitality to boost funds instead of that rediculous tent that is stifling in the heat and freezing on windy days and looks a mess.
What about the enormous opportunities for water sports here and potentially sport based holiday?
Actually, Jersey’s sporting life is rich and varied and I have no idea why youngster moan about the lack of activities when they could join a sports club….football, rugby, tennis,basketball, netball, cricket, badminton, squash, racketball, gym training, yoga, pilates, karate, swimming, diving, shooting, archery, surfing, sailing, canoeing, water skiing, scuba diving, horse riding, motorbike trialing, cycling, athletics, ….even DOG TRAINING….is that enough to think about?
There are actually amazing numbers of activities ALL within minutes of travel time where friends can be made and there is a chance to get fit ~ and God knows by the weight issues afflicting so many whose only access to “sport” is a computer game, it would be a plus.
Why do we not promote more activity based toursim?
In a an island that still has beauty spots, why not promote Art based tourism?
Why have the “Tourism” committee only tired old ideas and why the heck do they pay fees to “designers” to come up with logos that children could have drawn or your average PC could have generated….and WASTE time and money?
If we want to compete, we need to seriously ask ourselves IF we actually CAN anymore,and if we can, how to allocate funds, if, after paying politicians salaries we can even AFFORD to, look to the competition and actually ASK the public what they want…..oh, I forgot, apparently politicians do that all the time….and then ignore us and agree to fund enormous incinerators to burn Guernsey’s waste.
Yes, a FINE and scenic addition to south coast views THAT monstrosity surely is.
No, If I were not bound by current family commitments to livig here, I wouldn’t pay good money to come here, sit on a wet and windy beach, wander around a ghost town whilst the waterfront is developed randomly without thought or taste, drive on half finished roads, admire the concrete carbuncle which says it all….. that unless we do something fast, we are only fit to receive the rubbish which cannot be received elsewhere.
Cat
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The problem lies with insufficient tourists, not in the attractions. When I was a kid growing up in the 70s these places were packed!
When I say these places,yes,that does include some that have now sadly closed, including the Inn on the Park and, of course, Caesar’s Palace.
Keep the Island’s attractions and get more tourists in, for heaven’s sake!
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Sorry folks, I forgot to mention a little attraction close to my heart that has gone : The Belle Vue kart track – I’m still furious that was ditched!
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24 Brands ,
Amen to that ref Belle Vue but the short sighted people that run and plan this Island of ours would not let the kart club build another one , too many wealthy nimby’s worrying about the drop in value of their granite barn conversions that being close to a kart circuit would entail
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What attractions! the word itself means to attract! and there doing the opposite there getting slated by tourists as boring, over priced and not changed for years.
we do have a zoo! as do most tourist attractions around the world! we do have a shell garden! how exciting! we have the living legend which was meant to close but didn’t get planning, so there here to stay.
problem is tourist spots here dont evolve with time, they just stay the same or they close down because people naturally get bored quickly! things need updating to attract people.
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3. De La Haye – Kids have loads to do in Jersey, they just need to get out there and do them!!
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#19 SYSH, spot on. My partner has been involved in the background of tourism in the past and he says the exact same “people came here because stuff that was expensive in the UK was cheaper here”. Goodness, I came here less than two years ago and the price of fuel was a really nice surprise at the time, NOT anymore, 2 years and it’s now comparable with many parts of the UK.
Never mind all the “It’s sunnier elsewhere”, not everyone wants to get cancer. It’s cheaper to go elsewhere and it’s cheaper once you get there, and the difference just in the last two years has been quite astounding. Eating out is the only thing that isn’t too bad here, but if too many places go under then prices will rise.
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#26 Helen, also true, places need to have constantly changing attractions. Kelvingrove is the second-top tourist spot in Scotland, yes it’s free but it pulls in both visitors and locals regularly because it has one area that is set aside for some sort of display, or educational area that changes regularly. And it is because it puts in the effort and keeps things fresh that the people of Scotland (and tourists) regularly donate to keep it going (and keep it free).
And it is very possible to get kids along to a castle but there needs to be something that really draws the kids in to what life was like back in those times, something interactive.
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Children do enjoy our heritage sites in my experience as a parent. It is unfortunately mostly their parents who don’t. It is another part of our Jersey culture lost. Parents of today prefer to go to places like the amazing maize where they pay a fortune to enter, £100 for 6 months for a family, but here they can sit down all day and leave the children to it. At Hamptonne and the castles they actually have to entertain the children theirselves.
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Finance took the view that they were the only player,and did not care…tourism has changed…we have not, we need to realise what our product is and sell it well,the rest of Jersey needs tourists badly..and the likes of cohen and his cronies are ruining our unique selling point which is our environment,yet only last week permissionm was given to something that looks like a Thai whoreshack at Wolves caves, the natural ambience of the island the quaint country lanes the beaches and scenery are all highly marketable,,,,but we would all have to pull as one to make it happen..or Hamptonne and al the others will soon disappear forever.let us start by seperating planning from environment…which can not co exist and have a fair deal….just the same as Govt and Judiciary…seperate them… allow film people in to make series and see how well we do.it really is not rocket science.
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Tourism in the past was different. Many people came here from the UK because they worked for British Rail and could travel for free on the BR owned mailboats. Jersey was then a cheap place to visit and also almost ‘abroad’ for people who had never left the UK.
Fast forward to 2010, people can go anywhere on holiday they can afford. There are brochures for everywhere from the Artic to Zambia. You do not just have to go somewhere to sit in the sun – you can see animals in the wild in Africa or climb a mountain anywhere you want. Jersey has to compete with this – and it cannot. Mass tourism is not going to return.
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No no no no no no no! there arent too many attraction, what a ridiculous statement, the problem is there arent any tourists. and who can blame them, the prices could get me to greece or spain. Time jersey woke up and smelt the cheese. And whos fault is this, some good old fasioned jersey fingure pointing is in order.
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No 19 you’ve hit it on the head. Unfortunately the plan to make Jersey into an upscale destination for long weekends didn’t really work did it? The problem is that Jersey has put itself in that straightjacket of a tax policy that doesn’t bother to tax many corporate tax structures and a flat income tax structure regardless of how much you earn and no capital gains tax. That only left the likes of duty on things like cigarettes, alcohol and petrol. That wiped out the key attractions of our tourist industry and the spending it brought with it. We’ve, sorry our politicians, have brought about a lot of the demise of our tourist industry if we are being honest.
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The success of our finance industry has increased the cost of living here.
If Jersey hadn’t had the ‘benefit’ of the finance industry we would have a lower population and most would work in tourism or agriculture.
It is easy to blame someone else but when it was a choice between a well paid job in finance or low-paid back-breaking potato picking it is easy to see why we are where we are. The people of Jersey chose it.
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We spent several days on a recent visit trying to find a proper Jersey Cream Tea. We were offered various chemical concoctions out of pressurised cans bought in supermarkets, including from a certain well known garden centre and eventually gave up.
Jersey has lost its authenticity and people will not pay good money for second rate service.
People will come if the quality is good enough, but too often, Jersey provides second rate and quality is pot luck.
If I didn’t have family in Jersey, I’d much prefer a visit to Norfolk or Yorkshire, where I know I will get quality.
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On a beautful sunny day during the last school half term break I took my daughter to Mont Orgueil castle.
Shut.
I witnessed several different groups of people attempt to gain access, only to shrug their shoulders and walk away.
At leaste the castle was doing its job – repelling French visitors.
I won’t be renewing my Heritage membership.
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How sad that Hamptone is due to close. Yet another nail in the coffin of your beautiful island.When are your planners and tourist industry going to get their act together and realise what they are doing to Jersey.
We have been visitors for 46 years, but sadly we will not be returning again.
So many of the hotels have now closed, especially our beloved”Portelet Bay”.
When we first started visiting Jersey there were places like the Watersplash and other lovely attractions to spend an evening, and a good selection of tea rooms and affordable places to eat.
Now sadly such places have all been closed down
so that there is little here to attract the tourist any more.
It is now cheaper for us to holiday abroad where we can be more sure of good weather and better value for money. What is the point of comming to Jersey any more if there is so little left to do, especially in poor weather and the places that remain charge so much in admission fees e.g the zoo.
Please,stop closing down Jersey. Bring back places that will attract tourists and make the island the beautiful,affordable, welcome place we loved so much.
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To John (comment 36)Yes you will get better value and quality elsewhere-since I moved from Jersey to the UK I am discovering more and more what the UK has to offer for tourists too and I understand now why so many people visit places such as the Lake District,Yorkshire,the Peak District etc etc.As much as I like going abroad and seeing the world there is loads to do and see in the UK.As for a genuine Jersey Cream Tea does anyone remember the Cobweb above St Brelads Bay which used to be an idyllic little tearoom which served freshly baked scones,cakes etc.Nowhere like that now-not that I can think of anyway.
To Janet Winsor(comment 38)How sad that you have become disappointed in Jersey as a holiday destination but many people will understand exactly what you are saying.I met an elderly couple a few years ago who said much the same thing- they were actually bored as there were no cabarets any more and no places to go for evening entertainment.They vowed not to return too even though they used to love Jersey.
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I’m a keen walker so find plenty to keep me occupied when in Jersey regardless of the weather. I travel on my own and opt for self-catering so I’m not hit with single occupancy fees on hotel rooms and can come and go as I please, not tied to set meal times.
My gripe is twofold. Firstly the cost of self-catering accommodation is exhorbitant especially that of some of the Heritage properties. Would it not be more productive, outside of school holidays, to reduce the frankly ridiculous prices and get more revenue from increased turnover? Secondly, the two main letting agents financially penalise those of us who want to arrange our own car hire, transport and insurance at much lower prices than they’re charging. Surely the commission that they get from property owners should pay their running costs and tourists shouldn’t be hit with a £40-£50 fee for choosing not to let them rip us off with inflated costs for “extras”. The cost of air fares is already disproportionately high without greedy letting agents getting on the act.
To me, the choice is clear. Go for screwing every last penny out of tourists who have infinite choice in where to spend their hard-earned money or aim to increase turnover by lowering costs. Seems simple to me but them I’m not a “consultant” charging the States hundreds of £ per hour!!
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The number of attractions is irrelevant unless the prices of them are reviewed. Not all children, teenagers, students and even adults are in a suitable financial situation to pay so much! After all, not all of us are rich big fish in a small pond.
Also, is anyone really going to come to Jersey when Condor Ferries charge £100+ for one person and a small car and Flybe put on ridiculously expensive flights at obtuse times and locations? Maybe the problem lies in monopolisation of the transport systems between the island and the mainland. With good transport comes tourists who would otherwise be put off.
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Also, to extend on the point made by SYSH (no. 19), maybe we need to sort out the parents who let their spoilt underage brats run around town screaming about how drunk they are. But that’s off subject.
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I feel sickened by the things that are happening in the island of my birth and the place I still think of as ‘home’ – so many pertinent observations in the postings here and many good points well made ….. and will anything change? I understand why the finance industry is often held to blame for much of the island’s woes but I feel that its actually something deeper and frankly rotten within certain sections of the community, and (dare I use the word), corrupt.
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reduce travel costs to Jersey and maybe you wil get more visitors!!!!
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Bring back Pluto’s playtime, I’m 28 now and used to love that as a kid (especially winging my sister in the pool the second she got on the old dog)! Hell, I’d pay good money to do it again!
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Too many? yea right.
Unless your like 90 yrs old then Jersey is boring as ****!
Lets break it down. other then beaches etc. youve got:
Castles
German Bunkers
Farms
Museums
…zzzzz! o sorry i fell asleep there for a sec.
point is. Retired pensioners coming over to look around a castle isnt generating massive income. You need young people looking for a good time. Just pop up a casino and some half decent bars/clubs hell maybe even throw in a table dancing club. Trust me!!! Problem solved.
If you live in the UK why would you pay £100+ for a flight and whatever the rip off rates for a hotel are to come to Jersey and be bored stiff. when for the smae price if not less you could have off to spain?
Maybe the problem is we have to many coffin dodgers in the states who dont realise its 2010 and Jersey’s still struggling to get out of the 80s.
Get with it ffs!
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I lived in Jersey for a bit and there’s nothing really you can’t get in Cornwall cheaper.
One of the best things I organised was a rugby tour to Jersey for the Surrey u13s side my son played for. 20 kids, plus 30 or so parents. Who knows how much we all spent there in the end.
The reason we went was because it was different. It wasn’t for zoos, beaches, surfing or museums. We can get all that here.
We had a great time. The guys at the rugby club were very welcoming. A bit less so after we’d beaten their kids though.
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Its 2010, quality tourists aren’t necessarily interested in cheap booze and cigarettes and as for petrol, most enlightened people would prefer a “happening” “green” jurisdiction with a fabulous cycle path network – much better suited to Jersey and a well marketed efficient bus route – everyone would benefit from this. Since we have low crime, what about a public car pool system pointhttp://www.carpoolzone.smartcommute.ca/en/my/ which could extend to a tourist pick up/taxi pool.
Weekend art for tourists and locals http://artathooperstudios.com/workshops#82
An EFFICIENT island ferry hopper like in Greece, going to ALL the islands.
Fort regent, here is a link to an amusement park all under one roof in Canada, this place gets packed people travel for miles to attend and stay at the on site hotel – it’s EASY for parents. http://www.crystalpalace.ca/EN/index.asp
There should definitely be a push for a Centre Park and how about a luxury boat “Casino” located “off island” to attract high net worth people. Accommodation packages teaming up performances at the Opera House with smart hotels and michelin star restaurants, putting them on Last Minute.com. Also Julie- de- Courcey’s comment about cheaper smart self catering for visitors – subsidised by the states. More price competition on ferry routes.
“Learn English” ferry breaks for people accross the water in France.
Michelin star restaurants/hotels offering Healthy cooking courses for perhaps a week, staying in the hotel using local Jersey produce.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/ People are increasingly interested in their childrens hands on education – how about the Jersey businesses/states departments getting together an setting up something like this to market to the UK. Perhaps our tourism should not be weather based but “concept” based. We should be evolving with the times and appealing to a variety of tourists who themselves would be able to contribute to our island.
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I meant to add that Jersey does not make the best use of its attractions and the attractions should be affordable enough for the Jersey public to regularly support them out of season. Jersey also needs to be known on an international tourist stage, for example, people from North America know about and are interested in visiting Guernsey because of the cruise ships and because of this book http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/books/2008130455_guernsey24.html, it has been included in thousands of housewives book clubs. Can someone please write an amazing book about Jersey?!! Or bring back Bergerac and subsidise the expense. Can we set up a deal with Guernsey to do a cruise ship ferry hop to Jersey as well and get the ships to dock longer? I think even in recessionary times, people are more interested in paying for quality less often, than paying for regular not so great holidays.
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Unfortunately, it’s a catch22 – no tourists and attractions cannot fund themselves.
Considering Bergerac was the greatest thing to ever happen to Jersey, I think the States and Jersey tourism should fund a film being shot here, or something which shows Jersey in a different light to it’s current situation
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Guys let’s face up to facts. Jersey’s had it’s day.. tourism will never come back (why would you pay stupid money to come to a place that is just like a town on the south coast of England?) Finance is on it’s way out soon (‘Tax efficient’ offshore jurisdictions will slowly but surely be made obsolete). In time it’ll just be a bunch of farmers and states members and they’ll all be as happy as pigs in XXXX… Night night Jersey…..
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#49 Hopeful, you’ve got some good ideas, have you put them in writing to anyone that can do anything about them?
Jersey seems to have more than its fair share of creative talent and could potentially have people run art weekends for photography etc (such events seem to be becoming more frequent in the UK). A place has to be in people’s minds for them to really even think about going there but you hear so little about the Channel Islands in the UK. The more Jersey produce that is around the UK (be it at craft fairs or wherever) the better surely? Travel to get here is expensive but not everyone will be put off by that when they can have the scenery you can get here, the history (not everyone’s cup of tea but the island is awash with unusual things that tell you a bit about the island’s past).
Your learn English idea is interesting too. The French Government certainly seems to be encouraging English more, maybe some parents would welcome the chance to give their kids the chance to use what they’ve learned in class. And to be a passenger on the ferry isn’t that expensive.
Jersey tourism may always be a little affected by weather issues (some people will always be sun lovers) but you’re right that weather shouldn’t be the only determining factor.
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Spring Heel Jack suggested in comment #21:
“Water sports – we have some of the best surf in the UK …. Make this place a mecca for surfers, sailing and diving.”
That is a truly excellent idea – well done SHJ!
Boscombe (a suburb of and immediately to the east of Bournemouth) now promotes itself as a “world renowned surfing mecca” on the basis of a few sacks of sand off shore that are supposed to generate waves.
It should not be beyond the wit or the ability of Jersey Tourism to promote St Ouen as a REAL focus of surf-related sports.
Now all we need are a few half-decent hotel rooms – if there are any that have not been converted into (empty) apartments.
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#52 No I haven’t submitted any ideas, hopefully Economic Development checks these forums for ideas….
#53 St. Ouen’s Bay’s beauty is outstanding – on a world scale and a surfing/water sport metropolis would be so good for Jersey.
I think Jersey Finance businesses should all pool together to create a private tourism / alternative economy fund to support Jersey so that they too can continue to be based on the Island and can attract suitable employees based on the Jersey lifestyle balance and so that it isn’t “night night to Jersey”. We are all interdependent after all.
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TruthSeeker 31.
It struck me quite funny that you should mention Thailand in your post, although I was not there to visit any of the places you elude to and am not sure how the wolfs caves development will be similar, what struck me was a comment made by a friend who owns a small business there. He said that the restaurant next door to him has seen their business decline in recent months. Instead of lowering prices or upping the quality or quantity of food they did the opposite and lowered the quantity and upped the prices (the quality is still fairy good ut you wouldnt go again for a minute portion). The thing is they cant understand why their business model change has resulted in even less custom and why they are struggling to keep their clientele.
Can you see the similarity?!
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English learning……St Brelades Language school!
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Ive said this before…Get the states to charter a plane for the summer and sell the seats at cost ( NOT PROFIT ),allow Travelodge (or simular) to build here, maybe theres an idea site, like where a holiday camp was before say and tourists could stay here at resonable cost. They would have to eat out as the Travelodge type accommodation dont have resturants so the tourist would spend there hard earned money in our establishments. They would have to hire a car, get a taxi or catch a bus due to the location. It could even be sold as an all in package. Everyones a happy bunny….Sorry. too simple.
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*56 It’s a different kind of English learning – full immersion in activities that are fun like a summer camp involving childrens/adults golf, hiking/painting/crafts/cooking etc. Jersey is ideal as it is virtually crime free. They could bring a teacher from their school in France with. How about Hampton as a venue? They could use up the cheaper hotel rooms too.
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Thank goodness some of the above aren’t in the States or St Ouens would have been turned into Newquay already.
As for a luxury boat “Casino” located “off island”, yeah, great idea. Have you not seen that picture of the Commodore Clipper in a gale?
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So many people saying “the problem isn’t lack of attractions but lack of tourists”….
Surely you can see the massively obviously link between the two? There’s no tourists because there’s absolutely nothing to do here. Like so many people have said, who really cares about an old barn or a church on a hill. The ones that do are the older tourists who come back regardless. Jersey isn’t an attraction to the majority of visitors.
God knows if I visited here as a tourist I would weep at the thought of only having the ability to visit a couple of castles (really… gorey castle you can get around in an hour and bar a ‘nice day in the sun’, elizabeth castle is pretty similar), a barn, a church on a hill with a tunnel underneath, a bunch of closed, boarded up german bunkers with overgrown a grass surrounding them, a glorified jewellery shop, a maze made of maize or a vineyard. Forgive me if I’ve missed any, I got bored…
We’ve got the fort sitting there while they decide (how long now…) what to do with it, I remember going up there as a kid and there were all sorts of ‘themepark’ rides; there’s numerous massive beaches just aching for some well run and advertised watersports and sailing facilities; stop all the horrible developments on the waterfront and build an aquarium, an outdoor theatre for artists and theatres to come over. We’ve got a couple of great golf courses, I’m not into my golf by any stretch but I’ve seen the visit jersey adverts and I don’t remember them highlighted anywhere.
Perhaps it’s not everyones cup of tea but there’s plenty of scope for adventure sport activities, sell it. I could think of a fair few places that could house activities such as quad biking, paintballing, rock climbing (I’m sure you can do this already, but I live here, and I’ve never seen it advertised), there’s the watersports and diving as above, parachuting, skydiving, paragliding (yes you can do these, but they’re hardly affordable), hell, build a go kart track. Sure, adventure sports might be a small niche, but that’s what holidays are about. Most people go on holiday to do relax and do things they haven’t done before.
We’ve got our boring and overpriced heritage sites and our beautiful beaches, they’re clearly not working as the sole selling point to potential tourists.
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As an example to my suggestions above…
I’m 25, I finished university last year. The year before that I invited a couple of mates from uni over to visit for a week or two in the summer. They/I appreciate culture and heritage as much as the next person and they enjoyed the island, they thought it was very beautiful infact, we even made it to elizabeth castle… but short of spending all day and every day at the beach, which I suppose is fairly fun, there was nothing else to do. Even going out and drinking like good students do loses it’s appeal over here with the stupid drink and entry prices, overly aggressive and petty door staff and lack of choice.
The zoo was £16 entry, short of a 30 minute jet ski and banana boat ride there weren’t any easily accessible water sports, we were far too old to be wandering around a maize maze and bar the ridiculously tatty and fairly uncrazy, crazy golf, the living legend is a joke.
No, every tourist isn’t a student, most of them probably aren’t in the 24/25 year old age bracket either but apart from showing them how nice jersey is to look at it was a little embarassing to have so little to do.
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Lets face it, Jersey is no Blackpool.
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Ronald Mc Donald (60, 61)
It rather looks as though Jersey isn’t really your cup of tea.
Let me give you a clue as to what Jersey can offer. The attractions that keep me busy day after day are not even man made. They would still be there, available to me if nobody else lived on the island.
Some Jerseymen and others, however, are hell bent on spoiling natural Jersey. Read some of the comments about making St Ouen’s more up market. That’s just one example, never mind reclamation sites, projected barrages and bridges.
Might I also say that either university admission standards must have become lower since they became “unis” (I was going to give it a capital U,like for example Jersey and Elizabeth take, but thought better) or else you have let things slide since leaving. I expect better orthography from an educated poster.
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further to my comment (44)
4 nights in Jersey in July flight etc for 2 adults = £578 b&b
One week all inclusive to Morocco same time = £676
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further to my comment (44)
4 nights b&b in jersey, flight and hotel (mayfair) for 2 adults = £578
One week in Morroco (all inclusive) = £625 guess where we will be going
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Used to live in Jersey, went back last year for 1 week (off season!) to visit old firends. The cost for 2 people to fly in from Gatwick, and stay for 6 nights in a not very good hotel was over a thousand pounds. Then add the nearly 200 it cost for a hire car.
Needless to say we won’t be coming back again – it’s entirely the price of getting and staying in Jersey that is putting people off.
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We have been coming to Jersey for the last twenty years and have noticed a lot of changes, not all of them to the good. For instance why are busy and servicable hotels knocked down and unaffordable flats built in their stead?
We have also noticed how expensive the attractions have become. When we first came to the island we marvelled at how cheap they were.
If you want tourism, you have to go out of your way to earn it. With more people finding it cheaper to go abroad, it is no wonder you are fighting a losing battle. I love Jersey and always have, but I think it unlikely I shall visit again after this year.
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#59 – most days are not gale force wind situations and anyway the same comment applies to most things the world over – it would be weather dependent with onshore licence options in bad weather conditions or cancelled, the point is, it won’t hold the island to permanent onshore gambling laws and can therefore remain exclusive and without harmful social effects. Perhaps it could be a more permanent location off shore – like Elizabeth Castle in the evenings, so much more glamorous than what it offers now.
Pehaps the states/islands should start an airmiles reward programme which notches up points for all Jersey/channel island services used.
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Rozel Aubin I think I’ll decide what is my cup of tea and what isn’t. I suppose you’re older and you’re opinion matters more than mine, right?
And I wasn’t aware that the way I write had anything to do with, or indeed it mattered on message board. I’m sure I’ll get by with my masters (or is it Masters?) while you waste your time being a grammar nazi. I think you’d be suited as a states worker, or are you?
As to the topic, “let me give you a clue”. Was patronising and authoritarian the approach you were going for? I don’t remember at any point in my post mentioning anything about reclamation, infact the only suggestion I made to building anything was a go-kart track. I wasn’t aware that rock climbing required anything being built, what with all our cliffs, or that the skydiving or paragliding required some sort of structure or that watersports required the same.
You trundle around your cliff paths and your museums if that’s what you enjoy, I don’t remember suggesting you or others couldnt’ and I’ll stick to doing what I enjoy.
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Additionally: It’s views just like yours that are the very reason our tourist industry diminishing.
“The attractions that keep me busy day after day are not even man made. They would still be there, available to me if nobody else lived on the island.”
You’re right, they would still be here, and they are. So where are all the tourists? Looks like not everyone enjoys what you enjoy…
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people dont seem to realise that our heritage sites are about the cheapest attractions on the island. All children and students are free! Adults pay about £7 depending on the venue. This is nothing compoared to our commercial attractions over here! But you are all criticising Jersey it is the same elsewhere. The zoo I visited in Kent recently was awful compared to ours and the same price! Legoland is terribly expensive as are all the big parks yet people dont moan about them!
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Was this headline on April 1st by any chance?
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~69 “I don’t remember at any point in my post mentioning anything about reclamation,”
Well,Ronald, Master of whatever it might be but hopefully not logic or careful reading, I don’t remember quoting you in that context. My sentence began: “Some Jerseymen and others”. If you think that that meant you, so be it.
I also don’t remember mentioning cliff paths and museums. As both of these are man made it would have been unlikely anyway in the context of what I did write.
With regard to “So where are all the tourists?”, I would suggest that many of them have been put off by the high cost of travel and accommodation. The few that still visit might also sense that they are not particularly welcome now that the island is predominantly the territory of the affluent residents who are happy to keep it that way.
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