Tourism officer warns visas will deter visitors

An electronic visa scheme will deter French day-trippers from visiting the Channel Islands, according to the head of a Normandy-based tourism promoter.

The introduction of Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs), which are due to come into force next year, will mean foreign nationals will need a passport to enter the Channel Islands.

Currently, French day-trippers can visit Guernsey and Jersey using only identity cards in a scheme which is in place until the end of the 2025 summer season.

Julien Bougon, managing director of Cherbourg Cruise Normandy, said the change would lead to a large drop in day-trippers and he called for the French and Channel Island's governments to work on a solution.

"People come to Normandy and discover they can go to Guernsey for a day so they don't plan that in advance," he said.

"They will usually have their ID, they might have a passport at home but they won't have it with them when travelling within France.

"People will have to plan their trip to Normandy and then consider if they will go to the Channel Islands before being in Normandy," Mr Bougon added.

"It's another kind of planning, another kind or promoting for the crossings, that will take time".

Mr Bougon said he was not happy about the decision to introduce the ETAs and he called for the respective governments to find a solution.

"It will affect the number of passengers which will decrease very largely, that's for sure," he said.

"We are so close geographically, traditionally and historically.

"Maybe this will force us to work more closely together. Maybe the governments will have the intention to co-operate more."

Jersey's external relations minister Deputy Ian Gorst said he was in conversation with his counterparts in France and England regarding the potential drop in tourism.

"The engagement is ongoing," he said.

"It's very likely the new border system will probably take longer than we expect [to be implemented].

"The important question for us, to which there isn't yet an answer, is will we be able to continue doing that [use ID cards] when there is the new border system in place?"

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