Guernsey businesses hope for return of pre-pandemic trade
Businesspeople in Guernsey and Alderney have said they are still feeling the impact of the Covid lockdowns five years on.Hospitality and non-essential services were forced to close during the first lockdown, but businesses reported a boost after on-island restrictions were lifted.The Bailiwick Bubble - which allowed residents to travel between Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm - was also said to have helped boost business.However, three business owners the BBC spoke to said trade was yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.
'Business has been low'
Chanya Besser, who owns The Looker hairdressers, said she experienced a spike in bookings after the first lockdown but it had been flat since.She said during the pandemic she was always worried about money and losing customers."When I came back to work, I was happy because I was really busy," she said."But after the second lockdown, my business has been really low, and it's still low now."Before, I was in and out working all day, and now it's quiet."
Karel Harris, the managing director of Sarnia Hotels which operates Les Rocquettes, Moores and The Havelet hotels, said hospitality was now "a more competitive environment".During the pandemic the hotels kept on their staff to house key workers who lived with vulnerable people and people entering the island to isolate there.Ms Harris said: "All of us have got used to doing meetings on Teams and Zoom, which is useful."But a lot of businesses have discovered they can do their meetings online, and there's less business travel."Whether that will ever go back to pre-Covid levels, I'm not sure."
'Costs have escalated'
Tracey Farquhar-Beck, director of the Blonde Hedgehog Hotel in Alderney, said the Bailiwick Bubble made a huge difference to the hotel, which had only been open since the end of 2019.Echoing Ms Harris, she said the pandemic saw a "huge shift" in the hospitality industry.Ms Farquhar-Beck said: "Costs have escalated immensely over the last few years and I think a lot of that is a result of Covid."I just think our robustness is not what it was many years ago. You do feel as if you have an axe swinging over your head all the time."
States of Alderney President William Tate said the bubble "kept the island going"."The injection that gave to our economy, I don't think we will ever be able to put a true value on," he said."Had it not been for the bailiwick bubble, the financial exposure would have been significantly more."
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