Museum visitor numbers up after 'fantastic' summer

Visitors to Guernsey Museums' seasonal sites are up on 2024 figures, bosses say.

The States said the group, which included Fort Grey, the German Naval Signals HQ and Castle Cornet, had 7% more visitors despite a decline in cruise ship visits this year to the island.

The States described it as a "fantastic" summer with "strong engagement".

The trio of locations, which hosted a series of different events over the summer, are set to close for the season on Sunday and reopen on 25 March 2026.

The highlights included the more than 4,000 people who attended Castle Cornet for the KPMG Castle Nights, a series of free live music events.

In August, more than 600 people went along to the castle for Fete D'Etai, a medieval-themed celebration.

There was 20% increase in the number of visitors to the German Naval Signals HQ, which included a focus on the 80th anniversary of the island's World War Two Liberation Day.

"It's been a fantastic season, and we're delighted to see such strong engagement from both local people and visitors," said Helen Glencross, head of heritage services at the States of Guernsey.

"The popularity of events like these shows how much these historic sites mean to the community."

She added: "The rise in French tourism is a really positive trend, too, and we're looking forward to building on that success."

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