Visit Isle of Man, in partnership with Manx National Heritage, Heritage Railways and the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, have announced how they will extend the visitor season into the autumn and winter, capturing a share of the increasing demand for off-peak UK short breaks.
To drive visitor growth, Visit Isle of Man are rolling out a new Travel Trade Hub in an attempt to substantially grow their association with UK and Irish based travel agents and tour operators and to provide a dedicated online resource for familiarisation and holiday planning. In addition, Visit Isle of Man are developing a more attractive product and marketing proposition which will include an extended opening schedule for some of the Island’s most popular attractions, and the creation of a dedicated travel trade business development team.
The Island’s most popular visitor attractions will be operating throughout November with Manx National Heritage’s 12 sites opening through to the 29 November and Heritage Railways operating a weekend service on the Isle of Man Steam Railway. A supporting events calendar through to the end of the year will provide an opportunity for visitors and residents to experience the Island’s unique heritage and culture throughout autumn and winter.
Ranald Caldwell, Non-Executive Chair of the Visit Agency, said:
‘The newly approved Visitor Economy Strategy sets out ambitious targets of reaching 500,000 visitors per annum by 2032. To accelerate the strategic plan and create a platform for future growth, Visit Isle of Man have focussed efforts on enhancing the visitor proposition from Quarter 4, encouraging visitors to travel to the Island during the shoulder season. Seasonality is a major challenge to achieving our visitor growth targets, with reduced visitors between September and March resulting in a number of temporary business closures during that period. Extending the season and attracting visitors during the autumn and winter is critical to realising the Visitor Economy’s growth ambition.
‘Over the coming weeks we have an extensive plan to contact key UK and Irish travel trade businesses and speciality groups, as well as getting the message out through our existing accommodation providers that we are open for business this autumn and winter.
‘We are also conscious of the benefits that this increased proposition will have for our residents who will be able to enjoy the attractions for longer this year. The visiting friends and relatives market helps support local businesses during what is traditionally a quieter tourism period and we are encouraging our residents to reach out to friends and relatives to visit the Isle of Man.’
‘Our Island, Our Future’, Isle of Man Visitor Economy Strategy 2022 – 2032
