New panel needed to address hospitality 'neglect'

Jersey's hospitality sector has asked future election candidates to support bringing in a new cross-ministerial visitor economy committee.

Ahead of the elections in June, the Jersey Hospitality Association said the government needed to increase the island's tourism marketing budget and sustain it.

The association said having politicians from all departments working together would help drive economic growth and "maximise the delivery of visitor economy growth".

Deputy Kirsten Morel, the minister for sustainable economic development, said in the past four years the government had "developed the visitor economy strategy together and provided more support than ever before".

Malcolm Lewis, the chair of the hospitality association, said the sector had been "neglected from a political standpoint for quite some time".

He said: "In spite of a fantastic strategy being published two years ago, it talks the talk but doesn't necessarily walk the walk."

He added he wanted to "make sure it doesn't accumulate any dust and make sure that it's done with collaboration".

Lewis said the aim was to encourage a new committee to be "dedicated to looking after the interests of the visitor economy".

He said: "The visitor economy is not just hotels and restaurants, it is a very broad part of our economy - it includes all our travel, supplies, attractions, to an extent retail as well."

Morel said the government had worked closely with the visitor economy sector "for the past four years".

"We are always looking to find ways to work more closely and effectively together because Jersey needs a strong visitor economy in order for our whole community to thrive," he said.

Marcus Calvani, co-chief executive of the Jersey Hospitality Association, said the proposed new committee was about supporting "an industry that's a critical foundation of the islands economy".

He said: "We co-authored the visitor economy strategy with government and with the team there and now we're on a mission to make sure that's delivered.

"Without our industry you don't have quality of life, you don't have connectivity - if you want other industries to thrive, this industry needs to be supported."

Calvani said the association had also applied for a grant from the Impact Fund for Digital Jersey for a mobile app for businesses to work together and was awaiting approval.

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