There were 3,533 fewer visitors to the Isle of Wight between January and September this year compared to 2016, new figures have shown.
Although January to June saw an increase of 43,845 visitors, that figure was diminished by a fall of 47,378 during the Summer months of July to September.
The total number of new visitors to the Island increased to 1 in 5 of all visitors between April and September, the highest figure on record. Whilst the number of new visitors has increased substantially during the year, some of the Island’s regular visitors chose not to return this summer.
New visitors came from Essex (up 50%), Oxfordshire (up 40%), Buckinghamshire (up 40%), and Dorset (up 25%), whilst visitors from the north of England, the Midlands and Hampshire declined. During the summer school holidays, 15,000 less people visited the Island from Hampshire.
The loss of Bestival in September has been blamed for the reduction in visitor numbers, alongside wet weather through much of the school holiday period – a reoccurring theme in recent years.
Despite the emphasis on cycling across the Island, just 1% of visitors used a bicycle as their main mode of transport during their time on the Island. 60% used a car.
