£500,000 to fund advertising campaign
Tuesday 29th June 2010, 2:58PM BST.
A busy Condor ferry passes Corbière Lighthouse
HALF a million pounds of public money will be pumped into Jersey Tourism to boost flagging visitor numbers.
This is the second time in a year that tourism has been given financial help by the States. The latest cash injection will fund a new marketing campaign to target last-minute business for the peak summer months.
It will feature radio, national press and, for the first time this year, television advertising on channels including ITV.
The money will come from the States fiscal stimulus package set up to safeguard the economy during recession
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More money being wasted by the States……….
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You can flog a dead horse, but at the end of the day the house is just plain dead.
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Why dont the wealthy business owners put their hands in their own pockets to promote their own businesses instead of tapping up the Jersey tax payer! Some of them are not short of a few bob but it seems that everytime there is a whiff of a poor summer they run off to the States pleading poverty! Maybe if they reduced their prices more people would visit.
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Please spend this money with some new ideas.
Doing the same thing we do every year advertising in the same places to the same people is just wasting money like last year.
An iphone ap for events in Jersey, advertising in new markets, Russia such as, sponsoring sporting events, fund a 2 for 1 offer at least it would generate the same amount of money as spent.
If I see another advert for Jersey in an English airport I will not be happy.
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Why would anyone ever want to go on hoiday in Jersey? That is the main point everyone is missing…….oh bless – people are stupid!
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I don’t think any amount of money in advertising will bring in more tourists, perhaps more encouragement should be put into getting the airlines and ferries to lower their prices, perhaps a reduction in landing fees and harbour dues would help. It is not just the tourist who is not coming to the island because of the costs involved it is also island residents who can’t afford to get off the rock we deserve holidays too! Islanders are the best advert for this island by promoting Jersey to people we meet whilst away.
Ah well back to flogging the dead horse.
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3. Mal
“property rich, cash poor” springs to mind. I very much doubt anyone is making a killing from the Tourism industry and I admire the people who put the time and effort in, after all locals benefit as well.
It isn’t just about filling beds or visiting the zoo, but all the previous commentators would be sure to complain when landing fees are increased and the price of a boat fare to France doubles, or even worse Condor pulls out because it isn’t making the profit.
Tourism helps pays for your bus service, the airport, the harbour, the range of attractions, the variety of restaurants, the choice of shops (you may think its limited now – wait till Tourism really dies) etc.etc.
It is now offering a range of jobs to students returning to the island. I think Tourism is one of the best industries for giving and not just taking!
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Well that’s another half a mil of taxpayers money down the drain
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hope you read the letter in the j.e.p from a postal management grade the director of this company earns more than the PRIME MINISTER its time the jersey pubic pulled the plug on this company please support the j.c.r.a this is a disgrace
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The money would be better spent subsidising the cost of travelling to the island. I seem to recall a JEP report a few months back which revealed Jersey was high on the Expedia ranking of most searched destinations. We get enquiries but they lead to nothing!
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Given the cost of flights and self-catering accommodation during the late spring, summer and early autumn months, I make my yearly trip to Jersey in early April. If costs were lower, I’d return in September.
As a tourist, its my opinion that further promotional costs are a waste of money. People in the industry can’t rely on the States to bring them more business, they need to cut their costs and see if they recoup losses from increased turnover.
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When a duck is already dead you do not waste anymore ammo trying to kill it. Jersey has been ‘dead ducks ville’ for years so do not waste more tax payers money.
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More hard earned taxpayers going down the drain wouldn’t be so bad if a few unemployed wear to be hired but no cheap foreign labour.
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No amount of money spent on advertising will make a difference whilst prices in Jersey are so high. Three nights bed and breakfast in 3star hotel Jersey £229 or seven nights 5star all-inclusive in Turkey £279? No choice!!!
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Jersey tourism is worth over £200 million of on island spend hardly a dead industry!
Tourism pays more than £6million in GST ie that is tourists paying over 13% of all GST that is alot of teachers and nurses and police paid for by tourists. Add on top of that all the duty on wine etc consumed by tourists plus income tax and company tax paid for by the industry.
Thank God we have tourism and I hope all you moaners look up the facts and see how important it is to our island and how big a market we really have. 700,000 people come to Jersey every year.
Well done to all in the industry who are still successful even though the whole island is geared to finance both tax wise and employment wise, well done!
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It doesn’t matter how much you spend on advertising, if there is nothing to advertise then people wont come. What attractions are left that warrant the high priced air fares and costly hotel bills? The world is in a recession and most wont be able to afford such high prices.
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The main reason for lack of tourists is the increasing cost in last 5 years of flights from england and the reduction in avialability. It makes a quick break very expensive! Around 5 years ago there were several flights a day from Doncaster to Jersey, now one or two a week. You can fly from Manchester with BA via Gatwick. Only takes 6 hours. I could be in Hawaii by then!!!!
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This 500,000 is still short of the 10 mill promised to Tourism. Where’s the rest of it?
People should quit moaning and be glad tourism isn’t going to be a private public company where states subsidies would dissapear quicker than the Aquasplash.
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B.B.C. Two national radio today carried a news item, a news item if you please, that Jersey was spending half a mill.on ads to promote a flagging season…You could not make it up as some say..Why in the name of good sense would you want to broadcast nationally that your buisness was in schtuk…and that you were going to try to kickstart it..SURELY you would just quietly DO IT !!! who ever advises on these things or is responsible for Jersey’s P.R. and press releases..should be summarily dismissed forthwith..the most junior marketeer would tell you that in boxing terms that is called leading with the chin…it is absolutely pitiful…in fact almost as pitiful as the piddling amount ..half a mill…to boost an industry that affects and benefits so many people ask any tourist dependent buisness…and by comparison to what is squandered on things like the Avenue,which incidentally is still like a donkeys hind leg,,,,we spend more on bloody bollards and other annoying so called “street furniture” the |COM blow more than half a mill,on things they cant even account for regularly…please let us have a return to common sense and rid ourselves of these useless jobsworths.
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What I like to call the “Gatwick, Heathrow gap” stops enough tourists all on its own.
I fly from Jersey to destinations I can get to from Gatwick, to avoid having to bus to Heathrow.
Please sort this out !!
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17. Mark TK ”
The main reason for lack of tourists is the increasing cost in last 5 years of flights from england and the reduction in avialability. It makes a quick break very expensive!”
And it will get much, much worse if we don’t get behind this industry.
And lets start with taxi drivers. I have a number of relatives that stay with me in the Summer like most local folk, and their journey from the airport is always an experience, they feel depressed by the time they get to me!
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Why should the taxpayer fund the advertising for particular industries – hotels, hire cars, ships and planes.
Maybe Jersey needs tourism, but it doesn’t seem right that money is spent on promoting it, or n the finance industry or agriculture for that matter. How much is Ozouf going to spend on running around the Far East.
Let industries do their own advertising.
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14 Ronita—- totally agree. Have looked at a 4 night break in Jersey for August for the 2 of us at the Mayfair Hotel + flights £625, 7 nights all inclusive Morroco £546
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I think the majority of you have missed the point here.
I think this is a good idea but last week they were going to save money by reducing the amount they spend on tourisum?
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Who the hell wants to visit here????? Island full of drunks, run down tatty town ,bad weather, no attractions,you can get an all inclusive 2 week holiday somewhere hot and sunny for under 500 quid.
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whats that old saying you cant polish a t…..
why spend shed loads of cash advertising the island as a tourist destination when it doesnt have anything to offer the tourists. wonderful we have luvly beaches and great views…yep so does every pther tourist detination i have ever been too.
knowing many in the “tourism” industry and people that have sold up their hotels and guesthouses all say the same thing the people that had been coming for 10, 20 and in some cases 30 + years are bored of the island, it offers them nothing new and costs a fortune, all say they can holiday in spain, eqypt, italy, madiera, portufal, cyprus, greece and turkey for far cheaper but with more things on offer and unfortunatly all those places have stunning beaches and spectaular views that knock the socks of jersey’s.
What was the advertising line last year tax free somthing or another. well yes pretty much tax free allbeit a small GST of 3% but when the item in question can be had far cheaper at home your not really going to attract people.
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Re #5 Oh Dear
I find your comment on people’s stupidity pretty ironic bearing in mind your previous statement.
I read ‘This is Jersey’s’ forum on a regular basis, and always click off it with a certain despondence, that people really cannot see how good they’ve got it here. There are so many of you moaning about not being able to afford this and that….guess what…its free to step outside and to walk on one of Jersey’s 30 beaches (proven the cleanest in Europe), we just had almost two weeks of weather cracking the flags, and surf. We have restaurants with outstanding local produce, we have beautiful countryside, and I personally don’t take for granted the fact we live in one of the safest place in the world.
I am 24 years old, I don’t earn a big wage by any means and I too struggle with money-
But it’s my choice like many others here and I thank my lucky stars every day that I have the chance to live on this beautiful island. My parents brought me on holiday here every year from when I was born and I then moved from Yorkshire 7 years ago- a place where there really aren’t any jobs, the weather is grey, people are just as skint, if not more so and have no chance to finish the day with a walk on the beach, or in fact a walk anywhere without having to look over their shoulder every two minutes in fear.
I will agree the taxis from the airports are expensive (but that’s why we have a regular bus service to town for £1) and I do think the prices of hotels and accommodation are extortionate and make it difficult for people to holiday here; maybe the States should be focusing their attention on that issue too- apart from that- why wouldn’t people want to holiday here? My parents got return flights from UK for under £60 last week, and had the most amazing, relaxing week.
Next time you think about posting such a sweeping trivial comment like that- you’ll think about how ignorant and ungrateful you actually come across.
Let’s all stop moaning about this island and see how lucky we are compared to so many.
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Kage (24)
That’s because this £500k is coming from that wonderful Ozouf invention – The Fiscal Stimulus Fund! that amazing pot of spare cash that he put to one side under false pretenses to bolster the states budgets.
Every thing this money has been used for todate has had extremely tenuous links with Fiscal Stimulus. It is jusst being used to get jobs done that they had originally decided the money was available for, e.g. Avenue resurface, housing stock regeneration and now of course …tourism.
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People don’t come to Jersey as the costs are so high, if hotels/B&B’s etc and the airlines/ferries lowered their prices it would help enormously. If you add up the costs of the flight the accommodation you would pay for a holiday in Jersey you will discover that you could go to Europe for the same period for half the price! I know as I did it!
I have had holidays in Jersey in the past, but it’s just too expensive now. You get no value for money.
Also the costs of all of the attractions in Jersey is horrendously high! £10 to see a castle…..£7.20 to walk around a maze……
Honestly…. Advertising will not do you any good. You need to look closer to home to solve the problem!
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Week-long or fortnight long stays are not the only form of tourism. One type of tourism that Jersey could get plenty of is the short or weekend stay, but that is ruled out by the transport costs of getting here. Even people visiting friends and family prefer to justify the expense of the travel by visiting when they can stay longer than a few days.
If someone is going away a weekend they don’t want to travel far, yet a small island will automatically feel far from home to those from massive land masses, that is a good selling point and it is one that Scottish islands play on with city-folk. It would take many long weekends to check out the beaches, try the great variety of superb restaurants, or even to check out the history of the place apparent (for free) in every Parish, nevermind the few tourist attractions. Add in targeting Geocachers (Jersey has some brilliantly creative people coming up with hiding places) and weekend stays are a real option if landing fees came down.
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Look, for goodness sake, the price of getting there and of staying there is far too much, that’s all there is to it. I worked and lived on the island for over 20 years and would love to go back for a visit, but I can’t justify paying that amount of money. It’s a shame, but there you go…
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Sally #27
Here Here, Sally well said.
Only thing is as a holiday destination one must compare with the competition.
Sadly on the value for money front we are at the back.
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I first went to Jersey in the 70s the place was buzzing. You couldnt find a bed on the Island in June July and August the Jersey people were all in work and business was fantastic. Then the banks moved in and a few greedy people got rich and many more people lost their livelyhoods. Shame on Mr Walker and his cronies for letting such a beautiful Island go to ruin.
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£500,000 what for? The word is already out there we are just to expensive when you get here.
If they are going to spend this money it needs to be targeted a lot better then they have done in the past.
Better to spend it on promoting us as a training centre for the olympic games with media profile interviews National television papers etc with top competitor’s.
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29. Anon
“I have had holidays in Jersey in the past, but it’s just too expensive now. You get no value for money.
Also the costs of all of the attractions in Jersey is horrendously high! £10 to see a castle…..£7.20 to walk around a maze……
Honestly…. Advertising will not do you any good. You need to look closer to home to solve the problem!”
I have a membership to JHT, Durrel and aMaizin! Adventure Park and Maze so obviously don’t pay the door prices but I think you are being a bit unfair.
I recently visited Cornwall with the kids and without exception all were much more expensive than Jersey, they offered less, they had students earning half of what Jersey companies can pay, and they had triple the amount of visitors for less effort.
I think Jersey attractions have to put a huge effort into value or they don’t get repeat business and you can tell the ones that offer good value and those that don’t by the number of locals mixed in with tourists.
If you go to Mont Orgueil you can also watch the falconry or go on one of the flash days and get fantastic value. amaizin offer one price for the whole day and you don’t have to keep paying for every activity. There aren’t many places you can take the kids for less than a pund an hour – mine don’t even go in the maze!
Attractions are a discretionary spend – did you originally come to Jersey for the beaches, the heritage or the attractions?
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I personally think that there are people in Tourism and in the states scratching there heads wondering why tourists don’t find Jersey a place to come on holiday.
The people on the street seem to know why this is, problem is the States only seem to listen to big developers and the finance industry, Just like our very own Cohen.
Sad but true and its getting worse more flats and less hotels.
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Morgan #33
are we talking about the same Jersey here? The 70′s that you fondly remember was also characterised by an influx of 10,000 holidaymakers in the summer all of them driving a hire car each and 98% of them never having driven before judging by their driving skills.
I don’t get your point about the banks, they arrived in the 60′s and the 70′s and we’ve had full employment ever since with the exception of the two recessions 1989-1991 and 2008-20?? Who were all these people that lost their jobs as a result of the banks?
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Can I just say it’s not the 4 or 5 star hotels that are too expensive, it’s the 3 star and supposedly cheaper beds.
In Jersey the difference between a 3 and a 4 star bed is about £10 a night.
The upmarket hotels are regularly full as they offer value for money the lower end of the market is where we have the problems.
Take a look on Booking.com a branch of Expedia compare the prices and decide where you would stay.
They also reserve all their beds ahead of time with big travel companies who end up not using those beds anyway.
The Radisson is the best thing to happen to Jersey Hotels for a long time, and it is busy.
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Tom #15 – Statistics are all very well however how many of the 700k are tourists are business travellers? Is this based purely on arrivals? I know one states department that is employing 6 contractors based in the UK who fly in and out of the island every week – thats 312 ‘tourists’ that aren’t.
I bet they also include inter island flights? Half the islands banks send staff to our sister island on a weekly basis!
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Why spend so much? Invest in modern technology and install webcams around the bays? There is only one that works all year round – The Watersplash – so why not have them in all the important tourist areas?
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40
I agree
the webcams on jersey insight were good,could watch the boats come in west centre,St.Aubine’s bay and many others.
don,t know why they stopped them.
you can view cams the world over except here.
most people like to see the area before coming on holidays.
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Come on!
What’s better to spend half a million quid on an advertising binge that probably will return .. er half a million quid into local business and probably much less than £50 K into tax returns. or
Pay expenses for a self excluded magistrate because HE decides that his previous dubious actions might be a conflict of probity .. totalling £500K !!
Surely these stand-up comedians could make a fortune for Jersey putting up a ‘Jersey Fringe’ to compete with Edinburgh!
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Recently had occasion to drive through a depressed suburb of Birmingham, all dirty and boarded up, on a large billboard was an advert for Jersey – WHY??????
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An insight to what the fewer & fewer tourists see when they’re in Jersey… they get off the plane & wait for 15 minutes for their luggage, they then wait either 25 minutes for a taxi (the queue is 20 people long) then decide to catch a cramped bus into town…(they were going to drive their car but the Condor prices were horrendous!) The majority of High St stores are more expensive than Uk & the beers/food prices as well.Most are closed on Sundays & can’t understand why the main road to St Aubins is such a mess! On the return to the airport they ARE impressed by departures shops but can’t understand why they are advertising Jersey in the boarding lounge when they are already there! (er wouldnt it be more cost effective to advetise in Exeter’s or Gatwicks?!) Finally they see the men who take off the luggage from the arriving plane chucking at great force other peoples bags etc & wonder if they will return…. probably not – this was a relatives view of the little things that they could sort out…. the main thing they could do is take more of their eggs out of the Finance basket & support Tourism (and Agriculture) & start doing agreements with the airlines to get tourists in ! and use local businesses who know the island not these overpriced idiots!!
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In responce to Wilson Riou
First im willing to bet your a banker! secondly I bet you are a mate of Mr walker? open your eyes, there is now an underclass in Jersey the reason being that many of the people not qualified to work in the finance indusrty ( the only industry on Jersey now) can not find any other well paid employment.Jersey has put all its eggs in one basket and when the finance industry pulls out (and they WILL) what will be left for the Jersey people?
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Mogit #43
You’ve summed up the problem for Tourism – they haven’t got a clue what their market is anymore!
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In response to Morgan
Firstly, you don’t particularly need to be qualified to work in the Finance industry – I personally work in banking and have done for nearly 8 years. I left school a month before my 15th birthday and have no qualifications other than my ECDL which I took primarily to get into a Finance job – anyone can do the same. If you don’t want to be a skivvy then do something about it, simples.
Secondly, you might find that what is really holding you back from a decent job is your poor attitude and erroneous grammar – “I bet your a banker” (sic) and in that one accusatory comment you would have just alienated any potential employer.
Yes you’re correct in that there is an underclass in Jersey – these are the ones that are of lower intelligence generally, thus they don’t get into the higher echelons of employment. If you think that’s wrong then you need to move into a communist country where everone earns equal pay.
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“there is now an underclass in Jersey the reason being that many of the people not qualified to work in the finance industry”
Well, how fortunate that the finance industry is the Island’s major employer and employs a larger proportion of Jersey born people than any other sector.
Instead of whinging, eiter get qualified in the finance industry or go somewhere where your skills are recognised. But if you are saying tourism would be the answer, can I inform you that you won’t get rich clearing tables or stacking deck chairs.
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At the end of the day, what is to see when they get here?
The zoo is struggling, other venues are having to either close of not open on certain days due to poor turn out and to cover expenses…
Other holiday destinations are cheaper to get to and stay there, have warmer climates, have more attractions and are generally more open for business… Take a walk around St Helier and see how many restaurants are open or full and then you can see why people do not want to visit or return.
It is a very grim forecast for Jersey tourism so pumping in another half a million isnt going to help… The States are so shortsighted – its their fault that we are in this position. States members are obviously out of touch with what people want and are either ignorant or too arrogant to listen…
Wasting more of our taxpayers money yet again – but they will go ahead regardless of anyones opinions!
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It would be really something if we had joined up thinking and Govt.someone could step out of the shadows and put their hand up saying O.K. We got it wrong…we put all our chips on Finance and now the chips are down..we neglected our tourism badly,and now we are going to rebuild it,get airfares and accomodation realistically priced,put on some interesting and even exciting entertainment.generate some actual fun and fun places…and really get behind this industry that previously employed so many people,especially the service providers,bakers ,laundry,hire cars ,catering supplies etc,and we are really going to pull ourselves up again,as this island is a place of beauty and can be a fabulous product…..Ahh I really must lay off the Lysergic acid..trippin’ again.
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I have been invited to Jersey to attend an afternoon / evening private function.
To attend this function the cheapest car ferry price I can get is £220 and to book a hotel near the function it is £160 per night.
So near on £500 for a weekend that is the equivilant of me taking the family to Disneyland Paris and look at what THAT has to offer!
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#51 Amanda
This is the crux of Jersey Tourism’s problem
The cost of getting here is a national disgrace. Only once the States address this issue will an advertising campaign become worthwhile
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‘So near on £500 for a weekend that is the equivilant of me taking the family to Disneyland Paris and look at what THAT has to offer!’
Go to Jersey, no contest!
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51.Amanda
I had to smile when I read your comment Amanda. I “did” Disneyland Paris last year and the cost isn’t so bad getting there it’s what you have to spend for the weekend, all major rides were broken and people were so rude! As much as we moan about Jersey, I was VERY pleased to be back!
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Sally 27
Cant agree with you more in what you say.I have said this before but some of the people that live in Jersey do not know how lucky they are to be there. Its like lots of things in life you dont always appreciate what you have got. I love coming to the island and find that the pace of life is so much more relaxing than in England. I really notice that when I arrive back in Gatwick to all the hussle and bussle. I know Jersey has it problems, but if people dont like it – move! If I book in advance (only by a few weeks) I can get a return flight from Gatwick for around £80 with Flybe, a one day travelcard for me to go to London on the train is over £50………I know where I would rather go. As you say there are far worse places to live in, like some of the inner city slums of England for example.
I will always remain a big fan of Jersey.
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Peter (comment 55)I moved away from Jersey four years ago and am definitely finding life in rural England much more pleasant-the thing is living somewhere and having a holiday there are two different things.This discussion however is about tourism.As others have commented the world has moved on and people no longer fear foreign food or flying for several hours to reach their destination which is partly why Jersey has died as a holiday spot.For families it is way too expensive.My daughter still loves her birthplace and would happily bring her children and husband more regularly but can only do this if they stay with family which she feels can be a bit much with two young children!Instead this year they will be doing Centre Parcs which is not cheap but no air fares to worry about and plenty of activites and entertainment thrown in.Jersey should be targeting the middle aged people who have more disposable income and don’t mind paying over the top for a long weekend as I truly believe the bucket and spade brigade has moved on.
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