Guernsey saw 55% drop in cruise visitors last year

There was a 55% drop in cruise passengers to Guernsey in 2024, according to the Tourism Management Board (TMB).

The island expected 77 cruise ships to visit last year but 24 cancelled, blaming poor weather.

There was an "encouraging" 2% increase in staying visitors during the year, and the TMB said it was working hard to "put Guernsey back on the cruise map".

A total of 274,676 tourists contributed an estimated £141m to the economy and most of this came from people staying at least one night, rather than visiting on a day trip, according to the Guernsey Travel and Visitor Annual Report.

The overall increase in visitors is estimated to have resulted in an additional £2-3m being brought into the local economy, compared with 2023.

Most people arrived by plane, with ferry trips taking second place, according to TMB.

Hannah Beacom, the TMB chair, said the increase in staying visitors is "encouraging" and the report showed "strong successes in some areas, and weaker performance in other areas".

She said: "While the cruise sector had a challenging year, it is important to remember that our overall visitor performance is now improving year on year.

"The number of staying visitors - the group which contribute by far the most to the economy - has continued to grow, and while that growth is only by 2%, it is still encouraging in a challenging global climate."

Overall there was an 8% fall in the total number of visitors including those from cruise ships and yachts in 2024 compared to 2020, - and a 25% drop compared to 2019, before the Covid pandemic.

A total of 38,456 visitors arrived by cruise ship on 2024, down on the 85,541 the previous year.

"This is an area we are working hard on, and I am confident that the steps we are taking will pay off and see growth in this area as well in the coming years," Ms Beacom said.

She said the TMB is working with Visit Guernsey and the Cruise Steering Group and added: "Some of the changes starting this year will have a significant impact, such as the alongside berthing that will be starting for some ships at the harbour."

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