The membership of Sark’s Chamber of Commerce represents virtually every part of the island’s commercial life, from carriage drivers, builders and carters to award winning hotels and restaurants.

One of the Chamber’s principal objectives is to make known the fact that the island is very much open for business. While Sark’s economy is reliant to a considerable extent on the tourism industry, the Chamber is at pains to stress the island’s willingness to diversify in order to maintain its financial stability and to provide secure and regular employment for its resident workforce.

Considerable sums have been invested in the hospitality industry and, with rebuilding and refurbishment on a major scale going on at several establishments, the Chamber believes that this expression of confidence augurs well for the future.

In order to build on this confidence, and in acknowledgement of the fact that to a large extent Sark’s tourism industry is subject to outside influences, the Chamber has recently agreed a programme of initiatives designed to capitalise on existing links with other jurisdictions.

The majority of the 45,000 tourists who visit each year arrive via the Isle of Sark Shipping Company link with Guernsey. The Chamber wishes to strengthen its affiliation with its sister Chamber in Guernsey and will shortly be seeking talks to achieve this objective – an objective which Sark believes can be of benefit to both islands.

In addition, and following the establishment of a regular summer service by the French operator Manches Iles, the Chamber also hopes to open a dialogue with the Jersey Chamber of Commerce.

While the number of tourists from either Jersey or France via Jersey does not match those brought by Sark Shipping, most Chamber members consider the ‘spend’ by individuals using this service is considerably greater than by those emanating from Guernsey.

The Chamber hopes to persuade Jersey to promote Sark as a day trip destination for their tourists in much the same way as a trip to St Malo is very much part of a Jersey holiday for thousands of their tourists.

On the domestic front the Chamber believes that while it would leave involvement in day to day politics to others – including many of its members – it is prudent to hold a watching brief over the affairs of the island’s legislature, Chief Pleas.

To that end it will examine agendas and the proposals therein and offer constructive observations when and where it believes matters set down for debate or discussion affect the commercial life of the island.