Alcohol tax levels ridiculous says nightclub boss

Alcohol duty will be frozen in 2025 if the government's budget is approved

A Jersey nightclub owner and a business leader have called for taxes on alcohol to be cut amid ongoing claims the cost of a night out is affecting trade.

Alcohol duty was increased by 4.5% in 2024, although it will be frozen next year subject to the approval by the States Assembly of the government's 2025 budget.

But Martin Sayers, the owner of Vittoria nightclub in St Helier, and Murray Norton, the chief executive of Jersey's Chamber of Commerce, believe taxes should instead be reduced to support the hospitality sector.

Jersey's government has been approached for comment.

Martyn Sayers said the cost of going out in Jersey was "very expensive"

"On the point about alcohol duty, it is crazy that an island that's dependent upon tourism and value for money should make it so expensive that it becomes prohibitive," said Mr Sayers, who also owns Quayside Bistro and Grill at Liberty Wharf.

"The cost of going out is very expensive, hence why we don't charge for entrance fees.

"People used to charge £10 - £20 to get into a nightclub - well we don't do that anymore because you want the guests in and you want them spending money behind the bar."

“We mustn’t get to a situation where Jersey is so expensive that it loses its attractiveness," Murray Norton said

The number of nightclubs in Jersey has fallen since the 1980s and 1990s, and earlier this year the owner of one venue - which has since closed - told the BBC the island had "probably the worst nightlife I've experienced anywhere in Europe".

Mr Norton said he was worried the decline in the sector would have knock-on implications for tourism and the wider economy.

“We mustn’t get to a situation where Jersey is so expensive that it loses its attractiveness," he said.

"If you don’t get people to fly on planes then we will lose those routes.

"We need to have connectivity - it’s really important - and the best way of having that connectivity is having plenty of customers coming in and out of the island."

Lisa Duval, the manager of The Oche Club in St Helier, said customers were less interested in "coming out to get drunk"

While financial fears might be discouraging some people from going on a night out, studies in recent years have suggested attitudes towards drinking are changing, and young people are turning their backs on alcohol.

"It’s not coming out to get drunk anymore - it’s the intention of coming out to have fun," said Lisa Duval, the manager of The Oche Club in St Helier, which offers electronic dart games and a dedicated karaoke suite.

"You can’t exactly be interactive and play darts if you are inebriated, so their (customers') attention in their minds is kind of elsewhere, because they actually have things to do.

"So today it’s more about the interaction than the mental attitude of, 'let’s just go and get drunk'.

"Now the biggest thing is that they actually can remember the fun they had the night before."

'Lower rate of duty'

In its budget proposals, the government said freezing alcohol duty in 2025 would "support Islanders with the ongoing challenges of the cost of living and support the hospitality sector".

It added: "This will be the fifth year in a row that indexation of alcohol duty has been either frozen or held below inflation."

The document also said law changes would be made to allow alcohol sold in bars, restaurants and hotels to be subject to a "lower rate of duty".

"The intention is to improve the competitiveness of prices within the hospitality sector against prices off-licence and in low-cost destinations," it said.

"The option will not be immediately necessary due to this year's freeze in duty.

"However, ministers are legislating the framework to offer tap relief in future years.

"This policy underscores the commitment to fostering a thriving hospitality industry, which is a cornerstone of Jersey's economy and Island life."