Despite hopes that the Isle of Wight would benefit from a post-COVID travel boom, official figures reveal that the Island has seen just a 2% increase in visitors in Q2 of 2022 when compared to the same period in 2019.
The results, which cover the period between April and June 2022, are the findings of the Tourism South East research team on behalf of Visit Isle of Wight and is the first full comparable survey since 2019, which is from where the direct comparisons can only be drawn from.
Overall, the Isle of Wight has seen an overall 2% increase in visitors during Quarter 2 compared to the 2019 results, with 633,155 visitors compared to 623,592 visitors in 2019, using accommodation providers and hospitality venues on the Island.
The rising cost of living is evidence as visitor spend has increased by a whopping 45%, with a total of £114million spent on the Isle of Wight. The average day visitor spend has increased to £33.25 per day compared to £24.30 just 3 years ago. The average overnight visitor spend per trip was £198.20 per trip, compared to £293.41 per trip in Quarter 2 of 2022 – and this value doesn’t include ferry travel.
Unsurprisingly, the number of visitors by coach has fallen dramatically, from 11% in 2019 to just 3% in 2022, reflecting the accelerated national downturn in coach travel since the pandemic began in March 2020.
Will Myles, Managing Director at Visit Isle of Wight, has said:
“While these figures are encouraging, we know from anecdotal reports that some local businesses are already seeing the bite from the national economic downturn.
“Visit Isle of Wight is committed to ensuring that the Island and its businesses are forefront in the minds of visitors. Our autumn and winter marketing campaign launches in the next couple of weeks, and we hope that businesses look out for opportunities to join us in marketing the Island with one powerful voice.
Article continues below this advertisement “This September 11th will see the Isle of Wight’s reputation as a cycling mecca recognised nationally and globally, when the Tour of Britain’s exciting final stage takes place here. I urge businesses and residents to get behind the Tour of Britain and take part in the celebrations, which we hope will have an incredible lasting legacy. With TV crews from ITV 4, Eurosport and more, this will be a fantastic opportunity for the Island to really shine and encourage not just cyclists to visit, but their friends and family who will inevitably accompany them on their visit to the Isle of Wight”.
Too many roads closed or have temporary traffic lights making touring a chore.
Too many chavs in pubs, towns and parks making taking a family meal in such places an alarming unpleasant thing to do.
Too many low or no star eating establishments, and pubs where food is as basic as can be.
Lack of things to do for the modern family here.
Beaches full of dogs and rubbish
Too many young idiots driving an inch behind you and overtaking on any road.
Too expensive poor quality places to stay.
Way too many building projects and the destruction of once attractive houses and hotels to be replaced with modern ugly boxes.
Yea, but apart from that. What’s the problem?
The ferry prices are a great reason not to visit as well as all things listed above
As your picture shows, the Islands once beautiful countryside and green areas between streets and houses are being rapidly encroached upon by developers and the old attractive buildings demolished or burnt down to fill to the max with boxes.
Who bothers to come here to see that People come for something different to what they have to endure at home, but find it is as bad here now.
Council, masons and developers have ruined this place, not for a while but forever.
I’m not surprised. You can fly to Hawaii for the cost of a return ferry ticket on Wightlink. I saw social media posts from visitors who were being charged thousands of pounds for a week of accommodation. Hospitality killed the golden goose! They took advantage of our visitors because of the huge demand and I knew then that those visitors wouldn’t be back as soon as options were available to them again. I think there are a lot of holidaymakers here but they’ve all bought camper vans, caravans and tents! Hoteliers, Airbnb,etc. only have themselves to blame.
Load of rubbish,Islands been packed,never seen so many people here,hopefully new council leader on 128,000 a year will sort it out
£341.50 for a period return in August with Wightlink – car and passengers.
Say no more…….
Whoever pays that’s to visit the Island need their brains tested.
Sandown looks like it was blitzed overnight and no one cleared up the debris.
It’s also a job to get Fish and Chips after 8pm, and most toilets close by 7pm
The Island is like a 3rd world country
thats is the greed of the ferry companies .they hype the cost of the ferries at school holiday times ITS A RIP OFF
Perhaps people realise the cost of ferrys,u could have a 2 week stay on the mainland instead of 1 week here,also knowing the island is lacking tourism,compared to say 10 years ago as council rathet have more super markets ect
Probably because people can’t afford to be ripped off by the ferry companies
It would probably have been higher if people didn’t need a second mortgage to get a ferry and use a car park!
Still, at least the floating bridge is an attraction to rival Alton Towers! That should draw them in….if it works!
Only 2% . That’s because most of the fookers haved moved here !
It’s not a cycling paradise, that’s a misrepresentation to start with. it’s just a very small very overcrowded island that has no real direction other than downwards. We are a biosphere, much trumpeted by our council, that builds houses massively on green field sites, residents, visitors and the island economy are held to ransom by our cross solent pirates, and now we must all be on our best behaviour, wear our smartest matalan tracky bottoms , and please people, dont spill pot noodle down the front of your hoodie, because were all going to be on tele and our dim wit council think this will save us!
I’m surprised anyone comes to the island what with the cost of the ferry. Then when they get here they are extorted with high parking charges. Not forgetting us islander’s are as well, now we have to pay out of season with no benefits to show for it. It used to be free in the evenings and out of season at the sea fronts.
The average day visitor spend has increased to £33.25 per day compared to £24.30 just 3 years ago. The extra is probably parking ticket rise lol
That’s because of the ferry’s. Far too expensive, they’re crazy prices now.
I wonder if £250 + ferry prices and strikes have anything to do with it?
Probably … I’ve just booked a ferry with wightlink day return – was going on Monday .. looked at Tuesdays prices £36 cheaper for same boat timings out and back!
I have a choice but most don’t .. it should be sane price every day throughout the year.
That’s because after covid, there was only staycation , and the hotels and b&b double the price last year to rip people off, that’s why tourists are not coming back ferry service up price during school breaks in summer, all to exspensive now over here
The ferry companies again have made a fortune out of those that travelled. Taking from them money they could have spent on the Island… Should be a set price each way, 24/7 365 days a year, including Christmas day !! Plus red jet and slow cat should be running 24/7 too… not finishing at 20:20. That is very old fashion.
Hey council, ever imagine how much money would pour into this Island if we had a TUNNEL ? Think of the advantages…new business, new dentists, more GP’s, better hospital, more JOBS.. Better shops ..
BUILD A TUNNEL
Yes. I think a tunnel would really help.
Island Roads have trouble filling potholes, just imagine them trying to build a Tunnel.
That would mean they would have to get out of the truck.
I am forever seeing them parked up, feet on dashboard playing with their mobile phones, eating.
Their output is very poor.
Island Roads have been a total waste of money.
We get the same great service from the gardeners we pay a communal charge for (on top of our rent). Turn up 8.30 am, sit in van until about 12.30 couple of hours work and back in van.
Mr Smith you should add shoddy workmanship as well. especially kirbs, what they call a permanant fixture is a joke .,having now taken pictures my self of their workmanship and i have now added these to my album .
I do wonder if a tunnel may put off the 2nd homers and retirees from the mainland. They are always the most vocal against it, so they obviously don’t like the idea.
Probably down due to the poor service, strikes, covid sickness offered by the Ferry companies. The cost of coming over the tiny stretch of water doesn’t help either. Once you work out the cost to get here, the booking fees for holiday lets/accommodation it is probably cheaper to holiday on mainland. I expect the camping sites did a good trade as saw loads of mobile home/caravans come over via Red Funnel.
IF the figures are accurate I wonder how many Landlords who threw out their paying tenants for their share of the lucrative B&B market have had to re-think their strategy and may now go back to letting their homes out all year round for a guaranteed income? There has been a ‘land grab’ of air b&b homes resulting in an increase in homelessness and suffering for Islanders and I hope those greedy landlords suffer as much as their tenants have.
Whoop de do we can look forward to more congestion on the roads .. no doubt all the lights and road workings will be cleared away for the cycling event ? That’ll be the ones that half the time nobody is working on.
Perhaps the road closures could be a holiday highlight, spot the roadworks, or spot the empty shop and guess what it used to be … cos there is naff all much to see and do otherwise.
Tourists would spend a lot more if they hadn’t spent it all on the ferry getting here
What else do you expect when the Island is fast becoming just a suburb of the mainland
Extortionate Ferry Prices, expensive holiday accommodation.
Toilets closing early in many resorts, parking fees.
Having to pay to park after 6pm is criminal, even Portsmouth and many other places do not charge to park after 6pm.
Sadly there are many eye sores on the Island, especially in Sandown.
Hotels giving residents out of date food.
These are just some of the reasons I imagine people are staying away.