Jersey Finance, the marketing arm of Jersey’s financial services industry, was barely back from its latest trip to China over the weekend when it unveiled its plans for the rest of 2010 – which include visits to Russia and the Middle East.
The Channel Island globetrotters will fly to Moscow on 24 February, after making a first visit last year.
They will fly to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in March, and to India in the second half of the year, according to Jersey Finance chief executive Geoff Cook.
As in the past, the foreign trips will be aimed at promoting the island’s three main financial services sectors – wealth management, funds and banking, with certain markets being thought most likely to be interested in one or another specialty.
Russia, for example, is seen as being most interested in Jersey’s wealth management services, including private client work and trusts, while Middle Eastern individuals and companies are thought likely to be attracted by the island’s Shariah-compliant private client and wealth management offerings. China is expected to focus on corporate work, building on the use of Jersey companies that have been approved for listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, another recent development.
Outlining Jersey Finance’s 2010 strategy, Cook said the main issues in addition to overseas promotion would be focussing on attracting new business and keeping a close eye on the political and regulatory landscape.
Among the new businesses Cook said Jersey is hoping to woo are fund managers – presumably many of those who, according to recent press reports, are understood to be contemplating moves to lower-tax jurisdictions.
He said a number of events in London and the UK regions were also planned.
