Tourism on the Isle of Wight has fallen yet again, with a 4.2% drop in the number of Summer holidaymakers and a sharp decline in visitor spending.
According to newly released figures from Visit Isle of Wight, just 443,804 people came to the Island for a holiday or day out between July and September this year – down from 463,367 in 2024. That is almost 20,000 fewer tourists year-on-year.
The data confirms a worrying, continuing downward trend, following last year’s revelation of a 26% fall in summer visitors over a 5-year period.
Shockingly, day visits for leisure have dropped by 12.4% year-on-year. Overnight leisure stays nudged up just 0.2%, but the amount each person is spending has plummeted.
The Q3 figures reveal that overnight visitors spent an average of £229.88 – down 13.16% from £264.73 last year. Daytrippers spent just £26.48, down from £33.87, down 21.81%.
Despite a slight increase in total bednights and a longer average stay of 4.9 nights, the spending power of tourists is clearly shrinking – putting further pressure on local businesses that rely on the Summer season.
Cross-Solent travel behaviour is also shifting. 66% of visitors now use their own car, up from 56% in 2024. Fewer people are arriving on foot or using public transport.
Over the first 9 months of the year, total visitor numbers are down 4.6% compared to 2024. Only 59% of overnight trips and 50% of day trips were made for leisure purposes, raising concerns about the Island’s ability to attract traditional holidaymakers.
The total spend for Q3 remained static at £115 million, but with fewer leisure tourists and lower per-head spending, that number offers little comfort to businesses bracing for a challenging off-season.
Erm,i wonder why that is?
extortionate ferry prices,hotel prices going through the roof,attractions closing,derelict sandown,newport is abysmal,eating out is a rip off,its cheaper to go abroad,the ferries take most of your money before you bet here!
Well it seemed more like 24.2% being brutally honest! I hung up my boots with a guest house 6 years ago as signs were worrying back then for tourism over here. I work part time in a beach cafe for a friend of mine and although the weather was decent this summer there were just not the numbers over here during the main season. To me and i would imagine many other tourism businesses the drop is a lot higher?
Surely now is the time for Will Myles to step down and resign. He is obviously not suited whatsoever for the position he holds.
The Island needs someone who can actually do the job, be active and justify the levy that businesses are paying and expecting some type of upward turn and not declining.
Everything is overpriced here , transports a joke , poor hygiene establishments , without corporate business here this place is dead ,been dying for years
You blame them? old dirty shit towns ferry fares …if they run on time,drug scum people everywhere..everything expensive.
There are so many reasons why.
This current Government are leaving so many
households with less income to spend on
luxuries etc, gawd knows what’s going to happen
in wednesdays budget.
Not to mention the most expensive ferry fares in the
world per mile.
Charges to use public conveniences.
24/7 364 days a year parking charges along seafronts.
Also many businesses charge high prices for coffees
and meals etc, many are charging higher prices than
the big smoke charges.
Have I tried not being poor?
WAKE UP ISLE OF WIGHT COUNCIL! !
This is a further wake up call to get off your collective arses and do what’s best for the Islands future.