Visit Isle of Wight – the Island’s destination management organisation – is urging local businesses to apply for a free national charter marque that will highlight the quality and high standards that Isle of Wight businesses have to offer.
The ‘We’re Good To Go’ charter marque is a free, country-wide scheme operated by the national tourist board Visit England, developed alongside Visit Isle of Wight and a few other leading tourism organisations.
Visit Isle of Wight recognised the importance of helping to reassure visitors, that when the time was right, holidaymakers should feel confident that where they book was part of a national accreditation scheme.
Work on the scheme started in late April, with Visit Cornwall, Visit Cumbria, Visit England and others, to ensure that the ‘We’re Good To Go’ scheme was ready to be rolled out across the country.
Now Visit Isle of Wight is encouraging all Island businesses – from accommodation, to eating & drinking venues, attractions, events and activity providers and transport providers to make sure they have the ‘We’re Good to Go’ accreditation, which is free couldn’t be simpler to fill out – as it is based on the business’s own risk assessment.
Will Myles, Managing Director of Visit Isle of Wight said:
“It’s a week since tourism and hospitality businesses across the Island and the UK were able to re-open, as businesses develop what the “new-normal” looks like, by creating their risk assessments and their operating procedures.
“A key element that businesses should not forget is to sign-up for the national Visit England “We’re Good to Go” marque. It is a self-completion on-line process that will take no more than 20 minutes, which allows businesses to proudly display the national marque in their premises, on their social media and on their website.
Article continues below this advertisement “This, in turn, gives customers and potential visitors the confidence that they are doing everything possible to ensure their premises are following the government guidelines.
“Confidence is everything to customers at the moment – they need that piece of reassurance that “We’re Good to Go”.’
Leader of the Isle of Wight Council, Dave Stewart, said:
“I would encourage all Island tourism businesses to apply for the ‘We’re Good to Go’ industry standard, which will play a vital role in ensuring visitors can enjoy a holiday on the Isle of Wight this summer and be confident they can do so with peace of mind.
“Many local businesses have already signed up to the scheme — so don’t miss out!
“This new industry accreditation provides a welcome boost of confident for the sector and added reassurance for our visitors that we are putting all the right measures in place”.
The free accreditation scheme is an important part of the national campaign to encourage economic growth of the important tourism sector and sits with the ‘Isle of Wight Welcomes You’ promotional campaign, developed locally by Island businesses.
Go where?
ICU one imagines very shortly.
A shame as tests on a vaccine seem promising, yet many are now acting as though the risks of catching CV are diminished, when with lockdown as good as over, the risk is now high.
I suggest keeping away from pubs, food outlets and WAIT until the vaccine is available.
HMG want to save the economy, but WHAT use is that if YOU are dead. Will only benefit those left, not you or your family.
Patience is required NOT patients.
You won’t have an economy 8f.you don’t have visitors, most of the Island attractions are run down and past their sell by date anyway.
How are you expecting Islanders who rely on Holidaymakers for an income to survive?
The amount of practical logical thought in your post must be IQ related.
The island does NOT rely on visitors entirely. The island would do better if 1) House prices were not hiked up so that only 2nd homeowners can afford them 2) Bob Seely wasn’t the MP here. 3) We had a council who cared about residents here, instead of land grabbing and building houses that nobody can afford.
I agree with most of the Island attractions are past here sell by date, just look closely at who owns them and you will see why.
You think Island house prices are hiked up? Compared to where? Bulgaria?
Compared to the income of someone who is in full time work, has a reasonable pension from services rendered to our country (which isn’t Bulgaria…), but can’t actually afford to buy a house in the village in which I was born, and where my family has lived for nearly five hundred years. That’s why they appear hiked up to local people. Thanks for your patronising comment. Jury’s out on whether it was mildly racist by suggesting Bulgaria has a lower standard of living. If that’s just my incorrect inference, then apologies for any offence caused.
Exactly.
Salisbury, cheaper, Eastbourne, cheaper, Uckfield, cheaper, Seaford, cheaper, Bexhill, cheaper, Hailsham, cheaper, Crowborough, cheaper, need I go on, these are all down south too.
None of those locations are comparable with the IOW. I know I spend most of my week in East Sussex.
You are right not comparable at all, they are BETTER RUN….. no ferry companies holding us to ransom.
It’s historically just Sussex. An ancient county with a proud history. Thought a wind-up merchant like you would have seen through the Gerrymandering nonsense, sir.
Sorry to be a bother, but it’s IW, without an ‘O’. Best get back to Sussex. Regards.
Please stay away from the island taking up all our homes
All visitors are welcome to the Isle of Wight, we need you, well all the ferry company’s and business do.
What we, the public do not want is all these visitors to bring the virus with them.
Get that so called world beating 20 min test sorted and test all visitors.
Positive test, you go back home, negative, welcome to the island.
Sorted.
We are not “Good to Go”, our hospital is already overloaded, the roads full already, forget coming here this year.
no it isn’t overloaded – it has been operating at 40% capacity due to the virus and medics have asked that patients come for regular appointments.
We are NOT good to go tho r we…..there is still a virus out there it is STILL killing people so why on earth allow thousands off holiday makers on the island to possibly risk killing hundreds of islanders
Busiest place will be the hospital
How about putting a funfair at the Hospital so the kids of the unwell adults have something to do?
Sound like your taking the piss Gunga.
The exorbitant ferry prices will put most off – I know of a couple who have already decided not to bother. £192 return!.I don’t think so!
And why would you bother. The island’s main attraction are apparently pretty picnic spots. Good luck with that.
Many picnic spots, unless sitting with the low life hoards and their ill behaved dogs on the downs or beaches which the dim owner will tell you are ‘only wanting to say hello’ as they leap over your food and do their business, are impossible to reach as footpaths are so very overgrown and impassable if wearing summer shorts or taking small children with you.
Strange that our country can afford to take in the worlds poor, yet cannot afford to cut footpaths and create a pleasant experience for those of us who live here and pay our taxes and council taxes.
Something badly needs sorting in this country and ‘priorities’ of looking after those already here should be No.1
Rip off ferry companies always have held the islanders as prisoners. Not many if any reductions for island residents to get off the island when the mainlanders arrive here.
Good to go, straight into another lockdown.
all of us that have had to work non stop during the lockdown are fed up of listening to the whining, whingeing layabouts that want another lockdown, so that they can carry on being spongers off the state and not having to work.
Next time, supermarket, transport workers, electric, gas, water, sewage, banking, internet, NHS, police, fire ambulance and all the other workers are going to go home and not work either – then see how long you bone idle layabouts, last without food, water, electric, internet etc.
get out, get to work and stop effing whining.
Where in my comment did I say I wanted another lockdown, l hope we don’t have to, oh and by the way I have continued to work, you’re not the only one.