The Isle of Wight tourism industry is working together to remind visitors of an important message.
The ‘Don’t Cancel… Postpone’ logo is part of the #TheIslandWillWait campaign and is gaining momentum among Island businesses, which asks visitors to not cancel their trip to the UK’s number one holiday island destination, but instead postpone it.
The message is clear in it’s intention that people should respect the current UK Government instructions to not travel and to remain in the primary residence, and that the Isle of Wight is looking forward to welcoming holidaymakers in the future.
The artwork is the creation of an Isle of Wight teenager. Will Morris, 16, would normally attend Ryde School, but he found the time to create the design in between virtual lessons at his Whitwell home. Will explains how he came up with the design:
“I came up with the slogan and design in between (and during!) my virtual school lessons, I am glad to see that so many people and businesses have embraced it already and looking forward to others coming on board with it”.
While other campaigns are set up to help the global tourism industry, including the #ChangeTheDate campaign, the strength of the Postpone… Don’t Cancel message is that it is geared specifically to the Isle of Wight, with the Island clearly visible in the logo.
The message is easily adaptable as the situation changes, reflecting the needs of the tourism industry here on the Island as it pulls together with Visit Isle of Wight to ensure that the Island is still very much at the forefront of visitors minds when the current crisis clears.
So far, 40 businesses are displaying their own personalised image, including The Spyglass, Glamping the Wight Way, Ventnor Seafront and Ford Farm House.
Now, all Islanders are being encouraged to display the image to show support for the tourism industry, one of the Island’s major economic drivers.
The campaign is supported by Emma Harris, Visit Isle of Wight’s Marketing Manager:
“It’s great to see Island businesses pulling together in these uncertain times, and Visit Isle of Wight are fully behind the #TheIslandWillWait campaign. This, alongside the global tourism industry campaign #ChangetheDate, is a strong message to send out from the Island to our visitors, that we are ready to roll out a warm welcome once again when the time is right. Working together and spreading positivity is how we will get through this”.
Sarah Hamilton is from Glamping The Wight Way:
“With family togetherness taking on a whole new meaning at the moment, we have been encouraged that our guests are looking forward to taking quality time out together, once some kind of normality returns, by postponing their bookings rather than cancelling.
“They are telling us that they are keen to enjoy our unique island with us when they can and have been understanding in this unusual climate.
“We need to continue to put the’ Don’t Cancel, Postpone’ message forward showing our enthusiasm for the Island, that it is truly a gem of a place to visit. Showing the might of our industry community reinforces our collective strength and the wonderful experience that we can offer.
“As a small family business, we are actively promoting the Island Will Wait Campaign. It offers the ideal platform for our tourism community to come together and show that we are taking positive action to safeguard our industry. It has been a source of invaluable support & information during this fast-moving situation that we all find ourselves within and has us given direction when we may have felt overwhelmed”.
The images are available from Visit Isle of Wight’s tourism industry website Visit Wight Pro https://visitwightpro.com/2020/03/26/the-island-will-wait-assets/.
Bravo…
Don’t Postpone, Don’t BOTHER, will likely be the case. The Island has lost many attractions it once had, those that remain are expensive, parking is dire and expensive, many of the food outlets are very poor on hygiene, presentation and choice, and the welcome, unlike the leaflets say, hardly ever give ‘ a warm welcome’.
The roads are awful, the towns full of chavs, the ferries irregular and too dear, pubs that are good are few in number, and the beaches whilst nice in good weather are uncleaned as often as they ought to be.
Only our countryside saves us, and the council don’t cut back the footpaths anywhere near enough. And even the green and pleasant is being built up to create more houses, but with no extra jobs, schools and hospitals.
Sad to see the decline of a once beautiful place, ok to live here, but never worth the added fuss and expense of coming here to holiday now imo.
What!!!!!!
Thousands disagree with you. They keep coming year after year.