The Challenge

St Helena is one of the most remote islands in the world and is currently only accessible by sea. Earlier this year, the British government postponed plans to build an airport on the island, and thus they face a real challenge in attracting investment to the Island. DJS Research was approached to help understand how the Island could attract retirees.

The Approach

In order to gain an in-depth understanding of retiree’s preferences, the team from DJS Research took a mixed-methodological approach over a number of stages of research.

Initially, DJS Research used a focused programme employing desk research and opinion former interviews to assess market demand for overseas retirement amongst South Africans, a neighbour of St Helena.

The focus of the research then shifted to the European retirement market, where desk research identified a number of European countries with large addressable markets. Most substantial was the UK market, where over the next decade, a projected 1m Britons plan to retire abroad.

The research progressed to attempt to identify the suitability of St Helena as a retirement destination for Britons. In-depth interviews were conducted with UK retirees who were open to retiring abroad, covering their hopes and fears for retirement and their perceptions of St Helena.

The Results

Results from the study have shown that the climate and beauty of the island, as well as its relaxed pace of life, appealed to UK retirees, although as expected many were concerned by the limited access to the island. However, a clear niche was identified who found this limited access appealing and were less concerned about the practical issues.

 

 

Testimonial

“I am delighted with the work DJS Research has done on this project. The final report has given us great insight into the potential retirement market here in St Helena.

DJS provided us with a highly professional, courteous service, which delivered the results on time and to budget. What’s more they did it with flare and in a way which was totally appropriate for the clientele. We never met and yet were able to work together from a location 1200 miles from the nearest land mass and two weeks travel away from the UK. This not only shows the power of the internet, but also that if you get your customer care right from the start, anything is possible.”

Managing Director, SHDA