The Falkland Islands Development Corporation today published the results of their most recent Business Climate Survey.

Conducted, in part, to understand how COVID-19 has affected the local business community since the regular survey was conducted in 2020, the results of the survey help to paint a picture of how local and international events have shaped our economy over the past 18 months and how businesses have reacted to those events.

Some of the most important sections of the survey for the Chamber are the barriers to growth and innovation. There have been some significant but not unexpected changes to these lists, and it is crucial to consider them in the context of the current global pandemic.

With the suspension of commercial flights to South America and reduced airbridge capacity, it is unsurprising to see Air Links rise up the list after falling following the introduction of the LATAM flight to Brazil in 2019. As the world continues to move through the COVID-19 pandemic, we hope to see both of these links reestablished and a considered strategy for managing the risks and benefits involved.

No section was included on the Chamber itself this year, but we hope that this high level of engagement shows that the work we undertook following feedback from our members in the 2020 edition of the survey has been well received. It also means that we can confidently use the results to help guide our decisions over the coming year, revise our list of priorities, and develop a long-term business plan to address areas of most significant concern.

You can view and download the full Business Climate Survey results below: