Premier Holidays Celebrate Historic Milestone

Publish date: 20 Dec 2016

An independent tour operator in the Channel Islands is celebrating 80 years of history with a milestone birthday.

Throughout 2016, Channel Islands specialist Premier Holidays has been inviting its loyal staff and customers to join in its birthday celebrations with a host of activities and events on the islands, which have included escorting dozens of travel agents on educational visits to Jersey and Guernsey. More visits are planned for early next year.

Premier Holidays has been arranging holidays to the Channel Islands for decades and is the leading tour operator to Jersey, Guernsey, Herm, Sark and Alderney. Trading since 1936, the company was originally a bus company which developed a network of travel agents, before venturing into tour operation by launching its Channel Islands programme in 1979. In the early days, the travel firm formed Premier Airlines which was the first commercial airline to fly scheduled services from Cambridge Airport to the Channel Islands.

The company has a long history of employing born and bred islanders for their local knowledge, and many have worked for the firm for years. Premier’s first employee  in the Channel Islands was stalwart Jersey resident Penny Foster, who worked from home for a short period before the firm opened its first office on the island in the early 1980s, above a car hire company. As its Channel Islands programme expanded, the company took over an office at the Weighbridge in St Helier before moving to a bigger space near Jersey airport, and once again to its current home in Hallmark House. Current area manager Lynda Tanquy joined Premier in March 1994, working in the Jersey office to take care of holidaymakers in the resort.

Three members of the same Jersey family also have strong ties with Premier Holidays; in 1986, islander Sarah Scriven became Premier’s head rep for the Channel Islands. In 1988, Sarah was honoured with an award for outstanding courtesy and service to the Jersey tourism industry. She was followed into the company by her mum, Molly, who is still the operator’s airport rep on the island, and her two sisters, who are currently employed as island reps.

At the start of 1980, Premier Holidays launched its first Channel Islands brochure and within five years had achieved 14,000 passengers carried to the Channel Islands per annum, booked by travel agents from all over the UK. Over the years, the operator has grown to become the market leader to Jersey and Guernsey.

Susan Papworth, group managing director, said: “We’re hugely proud to have reached such an important milestone in our history, which is a significant achievement. Our story started all those years ago and Jersey and Guernsey are still two of our most popular – and important – destinations. We’ve seen some significant changes over the years, from major new hotel openings and refurbishments to the explosion of the foodie scene and the shift from traditional seven-night Saturday to Sunday holidays to short breaks.

“When we first started out, the Channel Islands were the holiday destination and we couldn’t get beds on the islands. We developed great relationships with Westview and Silver Springs in Jersey, and have been partners with Modern hotels such as the Mayfair and Morvan hotels since the beginning.

“Over the decades we’ve thoroughly enjoyed showing people what the Channel Islands has to offer, and reminding them that they don’t have to travel too far from home to appreciate the beauty and diversity of the islands off their own shores.”

Latest news

02 Jul 2025

The 5th Edition of Le French Festival returns to Jersey

The island of Jersey will once again celebrate its rich French connections with the much-loved Le French Festival, taking place from 10 to 14 July 2025, with additional exhibitions and activities starting mid-June.
26 Jun 2025

Visit Jersey Board appoints new Non-Executive Directors

The Board of Directors of Visit Jersey Limited, the organisation responsible for promoting Jersey as a tourist destination, announces the appointment of Matthew Jones and James Hooker as Non-Executive Directors, effective from 01 August 2025.
26 Jun 2025

Jersey Pearl Celebrates 40th Anniversary

This June, Jersey Pearl marks 40 years of sharing the magic of pearls. Since 1985, this Jersey family-run business has welcomed over 30 million visitors to its St Ouen home, offering unforgettable experiences in shopping, dining, and pearl discoveries.
17 Jun 2025

Celebrating 15 Years at the UK’s Leading Cheese and Dairy Event

The Atlantic Hotel is delighted to announce that Executive Chef Will Holland will be attending the International Cheese and Dairy Expo 2025, taking place on Wednesday 25 – Thursday 26 June at the Staffordshire County Showground.
17 Jun 2025

The Very Hungry Caterpillar™ comes to Jersey Zoo

Visitors to Jersey Zoo will be transformed into the beautiful world of Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar™, as he is brought to life across the site with a brand-new trail.
06 Jun 2025

New direct route between Brest, Jersey and Alderney this summer with Finistair

Finistair, a regional airline based in Brittany, France, is pleased to announce the launch of a new direct summer route between Jersey, Alderney and Brest, operated in partnership with the Governments of Jersey and Alderney.
20 May 2025

Jersey stakes its claim on the world stage with Geopark campaign launch

The aspiring Jersey Island Geopark has today launched a brand campaign aimed at securing UNESCO Global Geopark status.
02 May 2025

New exhibition looks at life after Liberation

A new exhibition at Jersey Museum opens today (02 May) as part of Jersey Heritage’s celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of Liberation in 2025.
02 May 2025

Pomme d’Or awarded in Tripadvisor’s top 25 Hotels in the UK and Channel Islands 2025

Pomme d'Or are delighted to have been voted as the 23rd best Hotel in the UK & Channel Islands in the 2025 Travellers’ Choice Awards, Best of the Best Hotels.
02 May 2025

Greenhills awarded Tripadvisor’s fifth best Hotel in the UK and Channel Islands 2025

Greenhills are delighted to have been voted as the fifth best Hotel in the UK & Channel Islands in the 2025 Travellers’ Choice Awards, Best of the Best Hotels.
Damien Molony as Berrgerac walking along a cliff edge with the Radio Tower and Le Pinacle in the background.
30 Apr 2025

Re-imagined series of Bergerac set to return to U and U&DRAMA in 2026

Damien Molony will head back to Jersey for a second series of Bergerac, written by Toby Whithouse alongside Ashley Sanders, Emilie Robson and Faebian Averies
23 Apr 2025

Walk free, feel alive with Walk in the Park this May

The Jersey National Park invites you to move beyond the familiar - to walk new paths, see with new eyes, and feel what it means to be truly free, with this year’s Walk in the Park.