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1240/5/1(120)
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE
MINISTER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TOURISM, SPORT AND CULTURE
BY DEPUTY M.R. HIGGINS OF ST. HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2017
Question
Will the Minister advise whether or not figures published by Visit Jersey to show the number of visitors to Jersey include people coming to do business, people visiting families and friends, and language students; and, if so, will he further advise what steps, if any, he will take to ensure that future publication of such statistics show the number of visitors to be represented by the number of staying leisure visitors?
Answer
All visitors who spend money in the local economy are valued.
Understanding the volume and value of tourism to Jersey is a key requirement for Visit Jersey, the States of Jersey and the wider tourism industry.
This is why EDTSC and Visit Jersey have modernised and enhanced the data collection approach such that it corresponds to international standards, and adheres to the recommendations of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation.
Under the new approach, based on Exit Surveys with representative samples of departing passengers from the Island, Visit Jersey intends to make available statistics on the volume and value of tourism broken down by broad journey purpose and duration of stay.
This means that the following data will be published:
• Holiday visitors who stay overnight
• Holiday day-trip visitors
• Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) visitors who stay overnight
• VFR day-trip visitors
• Business visitors who stay overnight
• Business day-trip visitors
• Study visitors who stay overnight
• Study day-trip visitors
• Visitors for other trip purposes both overnight and day-trip
The international standard for defining who is and who is not a visitor' will be applied, meaning that as such we do not count those who become temporarily resident in the Island to undertake paid employment for a Jersey entity.
The previous approach relying on Visitor Registration Cards purported to show the number of staying leisure visitors' but captured no data on visitors, regardless of their trip purpose, if they chose to stay in unregistered accommodation, nor did it provide any data on, or insight into the economic value to Jersey of day-trip visitors.