Late bookings and Bergerac boost overnight tourism

Late bookings, Bergerac and improved connectivity have played a big part in increasing overnight visitors to Jersey, according to tourism leaders.

Figures from Visit Jersey showed the number of overnight leisure visitors in the year to date up to June increased by 13% compared to the same period in 2025.

Chris Parker, route director for DFDS in Jersey, said the ferry firm was "seeing a really good uptick in visitors from the UK and from France''.

Tricia Warwick, chief executive of Visit Jersey, said it was a "really positive story" with a lot more flights coming in and increased capacity on Jet2 services to the island providing a boost.

Visit Jersey's figures show overnight leisure visits to Jersey increased by 3,500 in June compared to June 2025 and were up 13% year to date to 98,800.

The statistics added there were 220,500 bed nights in June 2026, 19,500 more than June 2025.

Warwick said Visit Jersey was having to be "more responsive" with its marketing.

"We have a later booking market and we have people booking in the week for the week," she said.

"I mean that's unheard of, it's really, really agile marketing, so you have to be responsive.

"We've got great weather, great connectivity, so a great number, we are very happy with it."

The total visits were down by about 4% for June compared to the same month last year and total visits were down 2% for the year to date.

However, Warwick said that was not a concern and was linked to business trips to the island decreasing during the summer.

She said: "I think total visits are only marginally down, at this time of year you would expect the overnight leisure to be the majority of visitors.

"Business travel tails a bit at this time of year because we are in the summer season, so I would expect that to pick up again in September, so not a worry for us - its small numbers."

Warwick said the TV show Bergerac, which is set in Jersey, had also drawn visitors.

"The other thing to factor in that is helping with awareness of Jersey is Bergerac," she said.

"From research we've done, people who have seen Bergerac are three times more likely to consider visiting Jersey."

Parker said DFDS was "looking at somewhere around 20% growth year-on-year" for its St Malo services.

He said the addition of a 24-hour fare, which allowed passengers to stay overnight and return the next day for the same price as a day trip had encouraged French visitors.

He said: "It's great to hear a lot of French accents around the town.

"Visitors are coming in which is really good for the island economy."

Parker said the weather this year in Jersey was likely to have played a part as well.

''I think people may be avoiding the south of France this year because it's a little bit too hot, but Jersey's just perfect," he said.

Last year, DFDS faced criticism over late and cancelled services with politicians saying it had to improve.

Parker said: ''We acknowledge there were some difficulties when we got up and running.

"It's about stability, understanding the market, offering what people want and I think we're getting better and better at that."

Businesses have also reported feeling the benefits of a boost in visitor numbers.

Kristjan Nommik, general manager at Hotel Cristina,said: "The season this year has been very good across the board. The numbers are up.

"They love it, especially when I speak to guests who are first-time visitors.

"They sometimes book only a three-night stay, and they say 'we should have made it longer' because Jersey's so attractive and there's so much to do in summer."

As well as "a big increase" in new visitors, Nommik said he also had many returning clients.

He added more airline routes from Europe had resulted in visitors from countries other than the UK and France.

Ian Carr, owner of the Waffle House in St Helier, said the weather had played a very important role in boosting visitor numbers.

Carr said: "The tourism has really picked up, we have a lot of French tourists, I've seen some Germans show up and even the odd person from the Netherlands, which has been great with flights coming from there."

Despite having to close on the three hottest days of the year because his machinery would not work in the heat, he said the weather had been a positive factor.

"We have had the best summer I can remember in years," Carr added.

"Its been amazing the amount of nice warm weather we have had, the extreme heatwaves have been the exception and they haven't been great for me, but otherwise its been fantastic."

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