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Jersey gets new wind in its meeting sails

Jersey’s meetings and events business jumped eight per cent last year, despite some dents in localhospitality spend. Paul Colston finds that £175m of venue investments have helped the island’s venues to keep up appearances.

Jersey, the largest Channel Island, is the third busiest domestic air route from Gatwick, with over 35 flights per day connecting to the mainland. Last month British Airways increased its summer Jersey-Gatwick service to 41 flights a week.
Flight prices have been steadily dropping since 2004, but are not yet dictated by low cost carriers, so the service levels are still there. The extra morning service from BA is one for early risers, however, leaving Gatwick at 5.25am.
Part of the charm of Jersey is that it is a place to get things done. Having cleared the airport within 10 minutes of landing, I managed to get round the island and most of its large hotel venues in a single day.
Although the island is primarily a holiday destination, its conference bureau reports an eight per cent pick up in overall meetings business for the past year, although good association business masks a sizeable drop in corporate meetings.
“There is very little travel down time on the island,” says Jersey Conference Bureau marketing manager Hamish Reid. “There are very quick bag checks and you just need an identity card if arriving from the UK. You can arrive at the airport in 15 minutes from most hotels.”
Ferries from the south coast take three hours on the fast service.
Tax-free shopping, fine dining opportunities (there are over 200 restaurants) and relaxed, old-world charm are the big draws.
Reid estimates there are 1,300 four-star rooms and 9,000 rooms across all categories on the island.
Over £175m has been invested in the 45sqm island’s hotels and venue facilities in recent years. In this premium market you can’t afford to stand still.
Despite the proximity to Normandy, the French market is slow, hoteliers say. Day-trippers from St Malo are more common than any big spending business visitors.
Jersey boasts the top three AA red star rated hotels in the British Isles. One of them, The Atlantic Hotel, is overlooked by Nigel Mansell’s villa (Former F1 driver Derek Warwick also lives on the island). The hotel has two meetings rooms, with the largest seating 40 theatre-style. There are 50 bedrooms at the hotel which is part of the Small Luxury Hotels consortium.

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