23 November 2012
Jersey is scoring highly with visiting rugby supporters this season with an average of more than 350 fans a match travelling to Jersey to cheer on their teams.
Ticket sales information from the Jersey Rugby Club shows that more than 2,500 fans have visited the Island for the first seven games of the season, and this number is set to increase for the match against Newcastle Falcons on Saturday 24 November.
Since the Jersey Rugby Football Club’s 1st XV promotion to the RFU Championship, the numbers of supporting visitors to Jersey has exceeded expectations. Attendance figures for each match, including home fans, have been in the region of 2,000. Last month’s match against the Welsh club Pontypridd attracted upwards of 650 visiting supporters.
Postcards home to boost tourism
Building on the team’s sponsorship agreement with Jersey Tourism and Locate Jersey, Jersey Post is supporting the championship action at this weekend’s match by providing 1,000 free, postage-paid tourism postcards for visiting fans to send to friends and relatives; raising Jersey’s profile as a visitor destination in cities across the UK.
The numbers of visitors coming to the Island to watch rugby in the quieter months of the tourism season has resulted in welcome spend on travel, accommodation, food and drink, shopping, and attractions.
Sponsorship paying dividends
The Minister for Economic Development, Senator Alan Maclean commented, "The decision to sponsor the Jersey Rugby Football Club was made in line with the Economic Growth and Diversification Strategy which supports year-round tourism and inward investment to the Island. The response that Jersey has received from visiting clubs and their supporters this season has been excellent and shows the value of this investment in terms of the profile of the Island in our key UK market, increased visitor numbers and spend."
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