Guernsey visitor numbers down for 2023

Fewer people have visited Guernsey in 2023 compared to pre-Covid data, a government report has found.

The Guernsey Travel and Visitor Accommodation Transitional Bulletin showed fewer than 5,000 people came to the island for leisure in the first part of 2023 - down from more than 9,000 four years ago.

Alan Sillett, from the Hospitality Group, said high airfares were a barrier which the States needed to look at.

He said: "The actual stats produced are very concerning for tourism and visitor economy generally, the big problem air fares, they're just far too high at the moment and are acting as a detriment to attracting people to come here."

Aurigny, a flight operator for Guernsey, said it had maintained prices below inflation reported across the UK Common Travel Area and general inflation in the island.

Statistics from the report found 36% of visitors came to see friends or relatives, 34% for business and 19% for leisure.

Overall 73% of visitors had been to Guernsey before.

The statistics showed an increase in visitors' average length of stay in hotels, rising to 3.2 nights in 2023 from 2.9 nights in 2019.