Trade update - 26 October

The number of visitors travelling to Guernsey by air increased by an estimated 12% in the first eight months of 2026, with first-time visitors up 30% compared with the same period last year.

Analysis combining Guernsey Ports passenger numbers with estimates from visitor exit surveys gives a more detailed picture of who is travelling on individual air routes, including how many are visitors, how many are coming to Guernsey for the first time and their estimated spend in the island.

Read the full article here.

The Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) is inviting grant applications from those seeking financial support for tourism projects. This could include creating or developing visitor attractions, events or activities that strengthen and diversify Guernsey's tourism offering for next year and beyond.

Funding is for projects taking place between January 2027 to April 2028, with weighting given to applicants that meet the criteria as set out by the TAB.

Improve the on-island experience for visitors

Raise the awareness and profile of Guernsey as a visitor destination

Increase visitor numbers by delivering new reasons for holidaymakers to choose Guernsey

The Board is particularly interested in off peak events tied in with Millenium, Year of the Normans, and those that celebrate the island's cultural identity.

The deadline for applications is Monday 9th November 2026.

For more information and to apply, click here.

This month we launched No Man is an Island, a campaign highlighting the importance of men's mental health and the positive impact that, time in nature, meaningful connections and a change of scenery can have on wellbeing.

Working with broadcaster and mental health advocate Chris Kamara, we've launched Here for C.H.R.I.S. (Calm, Helpful, Reassuring and Inviting Space), encouraging men who may be struggling to visit a participating business and say, "I'm here for Chris." The aim is to offer a listening ear in a safe, non-judgemental environment and signpost to professional support where appropriate, including Guernsey Mind.

Guernsey Mind will be delivering the next free mental health awareness training session on 18 November at 17:30 at the Bathing Pools. If you or members of your team would like to take part, please contact victoria.allen2@gov.gg for more information or to request a slot.

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

Find out more about the campaign here.

With 42,000 Facebook followers and over 60,000 email subscribers, we continue to see strong growth across VisitGuernsey owned channels. Our partnership packages are designed to help you tap directly into this engaged audience.

We offer a range of options including consumer email, social media posts and website features.

If you'd like to find our more, please email victoria.allen2@gov.gg.

View our partnership packages here.

Last week VisitGuernsey attended the 2026 British Airways Showcase Event. We joined other tourism boards promoting their destinations at the Concorde Conference Centre. We had a busy table with agents stopping by to learn about the five islands of Guernsey.

Our key takeaways from the event included:

• High levels of interest for accessible travel

• Utilising existing loyalty reward programmes

• Enquires for sport groups, corporate events, high end facilities and luxury experiences.

• Agents were keen to rediscover the islands for both personal and client travel.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to our post-event survey. We're pleased to report that, among the 48% of respondents who were able to quantify the impact of attending the Travel Trade Summit, the event is estimated to have generated more than £185,000 in business opportunities.

While many delegates felt it was still too early to put a financial value on the connections made, a number highlighted the importance of relationship-building and the strength of the new contacts, partnerships and opportunities established during the event. This suggests that the full commercial impact of the Summit is likely to continue growing over time as these relationships develop and mature. We’re also pleased to highlight that visiting trade partners particularly noted an increase in their destination knowledge because of the familiarisation itineraries and seminar programme.

The world’s leading travel trade show, ITB Berlin, takes place from 16–18 March 2027, and we’re delighted to be attending once again alongside Visit Jersey on a joint Channel Islands stand.

This globally renowned event offers an opportunity to build valuable connections within the travel trade. Although hosted in Germany, ITB attracts industry professionals from across the world, making it an ideal platform to showcase your business on an international stage.

By partnering with us, you’ll have the opportunity to bring one or two delegates, gain access to the official meeting scheduler, and attend an exclusive Visit Guernsey and Visit Jersey networking event during the show, bringing together a dynamic mix of journalists and tour operators.

Stand space is limited, and we are inviting expressions of interest from partners who would like to be part of this exciting opportunity. If you’re interested in joining us, please get in touch by emailing Sam Claxton at sam.claxton2@gov.gg. 

Discover more about ITB Berlin here.