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For all intents and purposes, the problems that the States has in the tourist sector are entirely of their own making. All it seems has been sacrificed on the altar of "Finance" at the expense first of agriculture and then tourism. It seems to me that the vision of creating a Dubai type Island off the coat of France full of exclusive hotels, rich financiers, Corporate Banks and luxury accommodation was only ever a wishful thinking mirage, and in pursuit of that dream the Island has fallen between stools and now has an identity crisis of huge proportions.
The historic skills of agriculture have been irretrievably lost and traditional tourist accommodation has been closed or demolished to make way for "prestigious" projects.
The lack of tourists in Jersey has little to do with the weather, perhaps something to do with the recession, but most of all it is the outcome of neglect of a cornerstone of the Jersey economy while perusing a pipe dream.
Another "initiative" to promote tourism will go the same way as all previous "initiatives. Much will be said in public, much will be discussed in the States and after much debate, nothing will happen to address the decline of the tourist industry.
There is little point in "asking islanders to come up with ideas" when such "ideas" will end up in a file gathering dust in some dark room in the States archive.
Attempts to hold on to Jersey's tourism industry
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For all intents and purposes, the problems that the States has in the tourist sector are entirely of their own making. All it seems has been sacrificed on the altar of "Finance" at the expense first of agriculture and then tourism. It seems to me that the vision of creating a Dubai type Island off the coat of France full of exclusive hotels, rich financiers, Corporate Banks and luxury accommodation was only ever a wishful thinking mirage, and in pursuit of that dream the Island has fallen between stools and now has an identity crisis of huge proportions.
The historic skills of agriculture have been irretrievably lost and traditional tourist accommodation has been closed or demolished to make way for "prestigious" projects.
The lack of tourists in Jersey has little to do with the weather, perhaps something to do with the recession, but most of all it is the outcome of neglect of a cornerstone of the Jersey economy while perusing a pipe dream.
Another "initiative" to promote tourism will go the same way as all previous "initiatives. Much will be said in public, much will be discussed in the States and after much debate, nothing will happen to address the decline of the tourist industry.
There is little point in "asking islanders to come up with ideas" when such "ideas" will end up in a file gathering dust in some dark room in the States archive.
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