Herm keeps eye on visitor numbers

No cars are allowed on the island

Officials on the Channel Island of Herm say they are monitoring Guernsey's tourism to prevent any declines in visitor figures.

A recent report has highlighted a drop in visitor numbers coming to Guernsey, due partly to the lack of bed space.

Herm relies heavily on visitors coming to the island via Guernsey.

Island manager Adrian Heyworth said he believed Herm's visitor trade was still doing well, but he would continue to check developments.

Family holidaymakers

Earlier this month there were calls for more investment in Guernsey's tourist industry after a new report highlighted changes in the visitor market.

Guernsey's Visitor and Leisure Industry Survey, revealed the island attracted mainly middle-aged, affluent visitors arriving for an average of three nights, rather than families on beach holidays.

It also revealed a lack of younger people entering the industry.

The president of the island's Hotel and Tourism Association, Carl Symes, said he would like it to be easier to raise capital to develop the industry.

After World War II, Herm was left derelict and abandoned until the Guernsey authorities bought it from the Crown for an undisclosed fee.

Herm, unlike its bigger, feudally-run neighbour Sark, comes under Guernsey's jurisdiction.