The Isle of Wight has lost more than a quarter of its tourists in just 5 years, shocking new figures have revealed.
Visit Isle of Wight has released data for the all-important Summer season, which paints a dire picture of the declining state of tourism on the Isle of Wight.
Anecdotally, Island businesses and residents alike say they have noticed a decrease in the number of tourists rushing to our shores during the Summer months, a claim that is now clearly supported by independent research by TSE Research.
The key findings in the Q3 2024 report reveal a total of 463,367 visitors came to the Isle of Wight in July, August and September 2024 – that’s 26% less than in 2019 when the same period saw 627,646 visitors.
Diving into this figure further, statistics show that the number of overnight visitors has taken a massive plunge of 33%, from 451,518 in 2019 to just 300,835 in 2024. Concerningly, just 66% of those overnight visits were for leisure or holiday purposes.
The number of day visitors has grown year-on-year but is still 7.7% down when compared to 2019, with a total of 162,532 day visitors this Q3 period vs 176,128 just 5 years ago. Of those day trips, only 41% were for leisure purposes.
From a money point of view, day visitors spent on average just £33.87, with overnight visitors spending £264.73. In another devastating blow for Island businesses, the total visitor spend in Q3 was down 11% on last year at just £115.
71% of visitors over the Summer months are said to have travelled as a party of 2 or less, suggesting that the bulk of visitors are not families – but perhaps couples or working professionals. This is a dramatic change from the bucket-and-spade holidays of previous decades.
There is no sign of improvement moving forward as the total number of visitors heading to the Isle of Wight so far this year is down 2.1% compared to the same period (1st January-30th September) last year.
Will Myles, Managing Director of Visit Isle of Wight, is keen to point out that the latest figures might not reflect the same Summer experience of every business with some businesses having had record years, whilst some are struggling, especially as the ‘leisure staying visitor’ shows the biggest drop year on year.
He says:
“The day visits market has seen the sharpest rise even though the Great British weather has thrown everything it can to encourage people to stay at home with rainfall during the period increasing year on year by almost 25%.
“There is no easy answer to fixing it and the current “cost of living crisis” does not seem to be abating, which means that decisions around taking holidays and day visits are a difficult one.
“The VisitBritain monthly sentiment tracker research states that the top 3 barriers to people taking a UK domestic overnight stay are “Cost of Living crisis, the UK weather and personal finances” with 48% of people thinking that the worst is still to come”.
Despite the 25% fall in visitor numbers in just 5 years, Will says that it is only because of the Wight BID that the Isle of Wight can have ‘such a strong voice in such a competitive market’.
So… extortionate ferry prices are turning people away – Hold the front page!
Because there are fewer travellers, the ferries will raise their prices… Result – more pain fewer travellers… and do it goes on as capitalism delivers for shareholders and crucified the people… again!
What should happen is prices drop to increase traveller numbers, thereby increasing efficiencies – win – win!
Why is it shocking?
accommodation is vastly overpriced,not really much to do,and what so called attractions are here,are too expensive,same price to go to spain for a week and get decent weather,ferries are killing tourism too
Well, what do they expect. The place is a dumping ground for every type of low life scum shite that can be dumped here, and the place is a rip off to get to. Every town, even every street is full of snort/swill/smackheads,WTF would want to blow 2 grand to come to shit hole like it. Even the holiday parks are full of shite now.
And you are only talking about the locals
Lol
I have seen them, full of Tatts and Vape like
Steam Trains, what a shower of **** they are.
it’s not surprising people don’t want to visit the island.
It was once a lovely place, it’s the new generation of
persons living on the island, many of whom are uneducated.
I feel your pain..it is a shit hole ferries a joke bloody expensive..soon the milly be gone so thats the best bit gone forever…
Ferry’s! enough said
I can tell you why the numbers have dropped and will
keep dropping.
Most expensive Ferry Fares in the world per mile.
Where else in the country do you have to pay a nightly
charge to park your vehicle.
50p to use toilets.
Sandown looks like it been blitzed and IW Council
have not cleared up the damage.
Also you can’t F art without an IW Council
Civil Enforcement Officer slapping a parking
ticket on your vehicle.
Nothing to do with the expensive unreliable ferries is it?
I’d say I’m surprised, but i’m not. The barrier to entry for the island (RF & WL) do not do island tourism any favours at all.
So it’s nothing to do with the cost of ferries, tourism places closing down ,more houses and supermarkets being built then, who would pay over a £1000 for a week’s holiday just to sit on a beach covered in sewage
And the 4 main reasons are as follows
ferry costs.
parkng charges.
state of the roads.
double yellow lines planted all around the island.
this is due to a greedy council
and the greedy ferries.
but they don’t care as long as they have food on there tables and have the heating on at the same time they have no problem
The island needs more Double Yellow Lines
to stop the backward uneducated B’stards parking
in dangerous locations.
It’s about time IW Council moved into the 21st century
and started towing vehicles away and having them
CRUSHED!
IW Council are a soft touch when it comes to parking
rules.
Saw a fencing van along North Road in Shanklin yesterday
instead of dropping off their materials
The STUPID backward B’stards left their pick up
Parked on Double Yellow Lines all day causing an
Obstruction to other motorists
WOULDN’T BE ALLOWED TO HAPPED ON THE MAINLAND
What Numpty is running this Island
Mickey Mouse
During the summer my family came over for a weekend visit (2 adults + 1 child)
Trying to take the stress from their bank account we paid for what we could over the weekend.
1 x visit to a well known West Wight venue = £115
1 x visit to Blackgang = £135
1x pub for fish and chips = £105
1 x pub for evening meal = £140
Ferry return cost = £330
Plus obvious incidentals, drinks etc.
If my family had to pay out for a weekend accommodation that would have added, at a guess another £500.
Who, in their right mind would pay that sort of money for a weekend away… (apart from bank of Mum & Dad)
Really…..! Didn’t needs stats to tell us that. Extortionate ferry prices, rundown towns due to lack of investment in outlying towns, stupid rent prices for shops, too many roadworks and closures being carried out during the daytime, accommodation and leisure prices sky high due to cost of living. Most people don’t have disposable incomes anymore to spend and why would they when it is cheaper to go abroad. Council and tourism team need to look at proper investment and cleaning up our once beautiful island. Unfortunately just the state of bankrupt Britain – but hold on – lets give loads of money to help third world countries – it won’t be long before we are classified as one!
We already are a third world country
What about the bullshite just last year or so that the island was doing the best ever ?? utter bullshite as usual..old worn out dirty broken..most town’s are feral scum smakheads every where..
The IOW council have allowed our beautiful island to slide into decay and disrepair and they clearly don’t have a clue or give a damn. It’s truly shocking that it’s been allowed. Sandown is one of the most beautiful bays in England with the best swimming, but they have no pride or interest. Just look at what they’ve done to it! No planning and no pride!