Visit Jersey takes steps to evolve and enhance Visitor Information Services experience

Tue, 13/12/2022 – 12:00

Visit Jersey’s commercial contract with Liberty Bus (Tower Transit) concludes at the end of January 2023, an opportunity the tourism marketing organisation is using to review the current Visitor Information Services (VIS) offering and to embark on a new, evolved model for the on-island visitor experience.Based on research on the current and future behaviours and demands of travellers, the increasingly important role of digital in facilitating and enhancing the visitor experience, and best practices in the wider tourism industry, Visit Jersey will transform the VIS experience through a range of tailored new information services tools for 2023 and beyond.

Visitor feedback highlights that Jersey.com, the Visit Jersey Visitor Map, and Official Visitor Guide are the resources that directly and positively impact and inspire the behaviour of visitors to Jersey. Visit Jersey’s plans for a refreshed multi-channel customer service model will include a more diverse range of touchpoints both digital and physical, including phone/livechat capabilities, an expanded distribution of printed materials and visitor micro-hubs. The current Tourist Information Centre (TIC) at Liberty Bus will close, though Visit Jersey will maintain a presence at the site with an information hub.

Visit Jersey is currently recruiting for two part-time Welcome Executives to provide helpful information and recommendations in advance of and throughout the customer journey. The Executives will be reachable across business hours and weekends by phone, email, live chat, social media, and post. The organisation will also be investing in an accredited training scheme, tools, and familiarisation trips for local hospitality and tourism staff, as data shows they are often a preferred resource for visitor queries.

Claire Lyons, Interim CEO at Visit Jersey commented, “With a global shift in consumer behaviour and transition to other channels of communication, particularly following the Covid-19 pandemic, we are adapting for the future and implementing more options to enrich the customer journey and visitor experience.”

Lyons added, “We look forward to sharing more in 2023, but will also use this time as an opportunity to listen, work alongside industry, and develop solutions that work better for visitors and the island alike. We’re confident these enhancements will offer a more dynamic and engaging experience for our visitors, from first touch points in the holiday planning process right through to their on-island experience.”

Ana and Marcus Calvani, Chief Executive Officers of the Jersey Hospitality Association (JHA) voiced their support for the plans stating, “For hospitality and tourism in Jersey to thrive, we as an industry – and as an island – need to innovate, work collaboratively, and embrace changes that will make Jersey an attractive place to work and visit, both in the near-term and for years to come. We support Visit Jersey’s decision for innovation and look forward to working closely with them to deliver what is best for our entire industry.”

In 2022 Jersey outperformed competitors to achieve its highest-ever Net Promoter Score (NPS) and the island’s visitor numbers continue to recover well, particularly in the UK and German markets. In October 2022 Jersey was declared the #1 island destination in the British Isles according to Conde Nast Traveller and #4 in all of Europe, ranking higher than Mykonos, Sicily, Santorini, and The Azores.

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Notes to editors:

Jersey achieved its highest ever Net Promoter Score (NPS) for Q2 in 2022 with a score of 70. NPS is a widely used tourism industry metric which measures the likelihood that visitors will recommend a destination to their friends and relatives. Any score above 50 is considered ‘Excellent’, with the lowest possible score possible being -100.
2022 has been a year of transition for the global tourism economy. At the time of release Jersey’s visitor numbers have increased 120% on 2021 levels and, in line with predictions, the total number of tourism visits has recovered to 60% of 2019 levels. The average length of stay for visitors has increased to 5.4 nights, averaging 1 day longer than the figures recorded in 2019 and 2018.

For more information, please contact:
Ashley Proudfoot, PR Manager
T +44 (0) 7797 930467
E [email protected]