14 April trade update

This Sunday we welcome the arrival of the inaugural British Airways Heathrow flight. The first inbound flight will land in Guernsey just before 1pm and, as with any new carrier or route, Guernsey Ports will be providing an extra special welcome.

In preparation, we have been working closely with the teams at both British Airways and Heathrow Airport to maximise the opportunities the new route provides. Alongside introducing the Islands of Guernsey as a new destination to their global audiences, we are running a series of joint campaigns and promotions.

We look forward to continuing to forge close working relationships with both British Airways and Heathrow, alongside the collaborative partnerships we have with all our carriers and major stakeholders.

VisitGuernsey’s flagship trade event returns in May 2026 with a refreshed identity, as the Islands of Guernsey Travel Trade Summit. Running from 18–20 May 2026, the summit aims to celebrate and strengthen relationships across the travel trade through collaboration, business updates, and new networking opportunities for both on‑island and off‑island participants. 

The core business day on 19 May requires advance registration and will bring together key suppliers, industry partners, and travel professionals to explore the latest developments in Guernsey’s tourism landscape. Delegates will have opportunities to connect with existing contacts, build new relationships, showcase products and services, and identify opportunities for future contracting and growth. 

Off‑island attendees will benefit from direct engagement with the Guernsey tourism sector and the chance to deepen product knowledge. For on‑island delegates, the summit offers a valuable platform to meet current partners and create new business prospects.

March proved to be an exceptionally strong month for PR, with 80 pieces of coverage secured across print and online publications. Collectively, these titles reach more than 51 million unique readers and include high-profile names such as The Times, The Sun, Food & Travel, Condé Nast Traveller and Heat magazine. A selection of this coverage can be viewed below.

Our visiting journalist programme is also in full swing. As part of our continued focus on showcasing the island’s outstanding food scene - and in support of The Big Eat festival - we recently welcomed a small group of leading food influencers to the island.

Dejashu, Boopfoodie, Vernahungrybanana, and Saltandshaikh who together boast just under 900,000 Instagram followers, visited in late March and early April. They experienced bespoke itineraries designed to highlight local producers and introduce them to the island’s top food and drink destinations. Content from Boopfoodie and Dejashu is already live, reflecting the fast turnaround benefits of influencer partnerships, with further posts expected imminently. 

By the end of March, the VisitGuernsey website recorded 340,518 unique visitors, representing a 2.94% increase compared with the same period last year. 

This growth is particularly positive at a time when many websites are experiencing a decline in traffic, as audiences increasingly turn to AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini to access information directly rather than visiting source websites. 

The rise in visits to VisitGuernsey suggests growing interest in the islands and indicates that users are arriving better informed. As AI continues to shape how information is discovered, we are closely monitoring chatbot interactions and continually refining the website to ensure visitors can find relevant information quickly and easily.

From 23 April 2026, an Electronic Travel Authorisation will become a requirement for non-visa nationals travelling from outside the Common Travel Area direct to the Bailiwick of Guernsey. 

The Committee for Home Affairs has agreed the Rules and Regulations to allow for the introduction of ETAs for visitors travelling to the Bailiwick from outside the CTA (UK, Isle of Man and Channel Islands). Find more information on the link below.

Accommodation providers are reminded that all previously States-funded star ratings have now expired, and are currently being removed from the VisitGuernsey website. 

If you wish to continue displaying a star rating, you will need to arrange and fund your own assessment directly with an approved provider.

Once we receive official confirmation of a valid assessment, we will be happy to reinstate your rating on your VisitGuernsey listing.

We would also like to remind accommodation providers that all boarding permit applications should now have been submitted and paid for. Please make any outstanding payments as soon as possible.

VisitGuernsey recently took part in two key international events marking the upcoming Millennium, 2027 European Year of the Normans. In Paris, the Channel Islands joined representatives from the Region of Normandy to officially launch their participation in the celebrations, which will honour the 1,000th anniversary of the birth of William the Conqueror. The 2027 programme will bring together communities from across Europe, including the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, France, Italy, Denmark and Norway to celebrate the shared cultural heritage and lasting influence of the Normans. 

VisitGuernsey also attended Rendez‑vous en France in Nice, France’s annual global tourism marketplace. As a major partner of the Norman Millennium alongside Atout France and Normandie Tourisme, the team helped showcase the region’s rich history and strong visitor appeal, culminating in a successful international press conference highlighting the opportunities for 2027, including the Islands of Guernsey’s year-round events programme.