Trade update - 02 October

We're delighted to share details of a new campaign launched this week, designed to support men's mental health while showcasing the positive impact that time away, nature and meaningful connections can have on wellbeing. 

No Man is an Island encourages men to take a break from the pressures of everyday life and experience the restorative benefits of the Islands of Guernsey, whether that's through coastal walks, outdoor adventures, quality time with loved ones or simply a chance to slow down and recharge.

Recent research commissioned by VisitGuernsey found that more than a quarter of UK men feel reluctant to discuss their mental health with family and friends, while three in ten said they would find it easier to open up in a safe and supportive environment away from their usual surroundings.

As part of the wider campaign, we've partnered with broadcaster and mental health advocate Chris Kamara to launch Here for C.H.R.I.S. (Calm, Helpful, Reassuring and Inviting Space). To mark the launch, Chris joined us at the Bathing Pools for a national media day, taking part in interviews with major broadcasters including the BBC and Sky, generating significant awareness for the campaign and its message that no man should feel they have to struggle alone. 

The initiative encourages anyone who may be struggling to visit a participating business and simply say, "I'm here for Chris." They will then be welcomed by a member of staff who has completed basic men's mental health awareness training and volunteered to offer a listening ear in a calm, non-judgemental environment, before signposting them to professional support services where appropriate, including local charity Guernsey Mind. 

Working alongside Guernsey Mind, we have already delivered training to a number of tourism and sports organisations across the Islands. Participating businesses will soon receive Here for C.H.R.I.S. materials, including window stickers and posters, making it easy for both locals and visitors to identify safe spaces where support is available. 

The response from industry has been incredibly positive, and we're grateful to all those who have already taken part. 

If you or your team would like to take part in the next Guernsey Mind Mental Health Awareness training, please contact victoria.allen2@gov.gg for more information. 

Together, we can help ensure that no man feels like an island. 

View the campaign here.

The Big Eat is officially underway, and once again, we’re delighted to see such a fantastic response from businesses across the Islands of Guernsey. 

With 70+ events, festival dishes and dining experiences taking place throughout October, there’s plenty for locals and visitors to discover and enjoy. 

A huge thank you to everyone taking part and helping bring the festival to life. It’s great to see the Island’s food and hospitality community coming together once again to create such a varied and exciting programme. There's lots happening throughout the festival, so please do share the programme with your customers, visitors and networks and help us spread the word. 

We’ve also launched new Big Eat Facebook and Instagram pages and are busy building our audience across both platforms. Please follow us and share your Big Eat content with us so we can help showcase your events and menus throughout the festival. 

We’re looking forward to seeing Guernsey’s food scene in the spotlight throughout October.  

Download the festival assets on the right-hand side of your computer screen.

VisitGuernsey's Summer Get Together brought together tourism businesses and partners from across Guernsey. Attendees enjoyed a relaxed evening of networking, seasonal reflection, and strategic discussion, with the event proving to be a valuable platform for strengthening partnerships and aligning on shared goals.  The evening highlighted the collective commitment to showcasing the best of Guernsey to the world, and amongst several positive outcomes, including new partnerships and ideas.  

We invited partners to take the opportunity to explore the Visitor Information Centre and see the new additions to the centre in Market Square, including the new Hedge Veg station featuring Blue Chicken House Bakery, Guernsey guernseys, Artisanal cheeses 'Caïllebottes et Lait Sur'; Guernsey French for 'curds and whey' and many more local products. 

Following the successful launch of the new Sunset Sailings this season, Sark Shipping has released their 2027 dates, giving visitors extra time on the island with a later evening sailing back to Guernsey: 

• 30 June 

• 7 July 

• 14 July 

• 21 July 

• 28 July 

• 4 August 

New for 2027, Sark will be introducing a programme of guided walks and specialist island tours. Themes include Sark's Flora & Fauna, Little Sark & the Silver Mines, Wartime Sark, Folklore, Traditions and more.

Full details coming soon.  

On Wednesday 30 September, we hosted an exclusive media breakfast followed by a curator-led preview of highly anticipated exhibition, Renoir & Love, at The National Gallery. 

Along with our PR Agency, Lotus, we were joined by 12 journalists from top tier titles at restaurant Ochre, before heading into the National Gallery for a special tour of the exhibition, which brings together 45 works exploring love, friendship, desire and human connection across Renoir’s career. 

The exhibition also gave us the perfect opportunity to shine a light on Renoir’s own connection to Guernsey. During his stay on the island, he created 15 paintings inspired by its landscapes and coastline creating a natural and compelling link between this major London cultural moment and the destination. 

A brilliant example of how we use culture, creativity and strategic storytelling to put destinations at the heart of relevant conversations and create memorable experiences for media. 

Head of VisitGuernsey, Zoe Gosling, said:  

‘This is the most significant exhibition of Renoir’s work in 20 years with many, including the iconic Dance at the Moulin de la Galette (1876), being exhibited in the UK for the first time. 

‘Renoir may have spent only five weeks in Guernsey but the long-lasting impact of that trip is still being felt, affording us the opportunity to showcase our Islands on an international scale to a global audience.’ 

Guernsey features in the Exhibition Catalogue and a painting from his time here, Children in the Seashore, will feature in the exhibition when it travels to Boston early next year.  

Renoir and Love opens on 3 October.  

Click here for more information and to book tickets.

From November 2026, Guernsey will benefit from daily Brittany Ferries sailings to Portsmouth and a new sea link to Cherbourg.

The revised timetable strengthens island connectivity, supports supply chain resilience, maintains passenger and freight capacity, and opens new travel and trade opportunities with Normandy, France, Ireland and beyond. 

For more information, click here.

August delivered particularly strong results across our French social media channels, with reach increasing by 210% on Facebook and 191% on Instagram compared with July 2026.

Just as encouragingly, engagement levels rose substantially, increasing by 234% on Facebook and 140% on Instagram. This demonstrates that our content is not only reaching new audiences but is also resonating with potential visitors, driving meaningful interest and intent to travel. 

Growing and engaging our French audience remains a key priority. This is being supported through targeted paid activity and a content strategy focused on highly visual storytelling. Content showcasing our beaches, coastal landscapes and unique island-hopping experiences performed especially well throughout August. 

Our French social channels continue to build momentum, with Facebook now exceeding 5,500 followers and Instagram reaching more than 3,500 followers. Growth on Instagram has been particularly pleasing, with the account having been launched only last year as part of our strategy to strengthen awareness and engagement within the French market. 

With the recent air traffic control technical fault, the UK saw mass disruption and the islands saw passengers displaced. In case of emergency Guernsey has a plan. The Emergency Accommodation group activates, with members both inside and outside of the States of Guernsey, to make sure anyone stranded has somewhere to go.  

VisitGuernsey recently assisted in two situations during peak season, when accommodation options were extremely limited. We were able to whittle the list of 500+ passengers down and match everyone with a place to stay either, hotel, campsite or self-catering. The second incident, which coincided with popular events in the summer calendar, meant that emergency accommodation had to be activated. We identified vulnerable passengers, crew that needed rest hours before they could fly again and families to try to give them priority.  

With places so full, we had to get creative and sent several members of the British Airways crew to stay on Herm Island for the night.  

Read the full article here.