17 April 2026
The Government of Jersey has introduced a modernised Tourism Order that removes outdated regulatory requirements and gives accommodation providers greater freedom to innovate, invest, and enhance the visitor experience.
The amendment to the Tourism (General Provisions) (Jersey) Order 1990, which will come into effect on Thursday 23 April 2026, removes several prescriptive rules that no longer reflect contemporary traveller expectations. These include:
- mandates on how hotels must use internal spaces (such as compulsory dining and sitting rooms)
- the replacement of the “net curtain" requirement with a more flexible “privacy covering" standard
- restrictions on where guests may sleep on campsites
- limitations that previously prevented the development of annexes
- the minimum bedroom requirement for hotel registration
The changes form part of a wider commitment in the Government's 2024-2026 Common Strategic Policy and Visitor Economy Strategy to reduce red tape, unlock investment in accommodation, and create an environment for growth.
By lifting constraints, the Government aims to empower hospitality sectors to explore new business models and respond more effectively to changing market demand.
Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, Deputy Kirsten Morel, said: “With this amendment to the Tourism Order we are cutting unnecessary red tape so that Jersey's accommodation providers can modernise, reinvest, and strengthen the visitor experience for tourists. These changes should enable businesses to innovate, become more profitable, and contribute to a competitive visitor economy."
Accommodation providers are encouraged to review the updated regulations and consider how the new flexibility can support refurbishment, product enhancement, or diversification.
At a glance: Changes to the Tourism Order
1. Overarching changes (all accommodation providers)
Outdated references to a “water closet” now refer to a “suitable toilet facility”.
References to a single “responsible person” have also been updated, so that the person responsible for the accommodation may delegate that responsibility.
Providers must clearly display nighttime contact information of the manager or delegate.
2. Changes applying to buildings
The requirement for hotels and guesthouses to be internally linked has been removed, meaning that annexes may now be developed in buildings “in close proximity” to the main accommodation.
If guests are accommodated in an annex in rooms that are not en-suite, a bathroom must be provided in the annex.
The minimum bedroom requirement for hotels (previously 16 bedrooms) has been removed, enabling smaller hotels to enter the market.
Any accommodation that sleeps six persons or less remains exempt from the Order’s registration requirements.
3. Changes applying to hotels & guesthouses
- There is no longer a requirement for:
- A separate sitting room/lounge
- Dining accommodation for 30% of guests
- Specific kitchen/larder spaces or chambermaids’ pantries.
- To enable more productive use of space in hotels and guesthouses:
- There is no longer a requirement to serve meals or refreshments “at customary times" to allow flexibility and enable businesses to cater for their customers wants and needs.
- The requirement for net curtains has been replaced with the more modern specification of “privacy coverings" (for any bedrooms which are "overlooked") to retain privacy for guests whilst allowing aesthetic choice for businesses.
- Guesthouses are no longer required to have a responsible person on site for check-in or check-out.
- There is no longer a requirement to install a public telephone, however a telephone must be available at all times for guests to contact the emergency services and the accommodation's responsible person.
4. Changes applying to self-catering accommodation
5. Changes applying to hostels (previously named “youth hostels")
- The “Youth Hostel Register" has been renamed the “Hostel Register".
- References to “young persons" throughout the Order have been removed.
- Providers must tell guests at booking if the accommodation is for their sole use and must specify whether shared accommodation is single-sex or mixed.
6. Changes applying to campsites
- Guests may be accommodated in any structure (such as in cabins, campervans, huts, lodges, or pods), not just in “tents or similar structures".
- Sleeping is also now permitted anywhere on a campsite (e.g., in the open air).
gov.je