Visit Isle of Wight recently held a conference to come up with ways to boost the economy on the island and attract more businesses. Naturally, this would have a positive effect on tourism in the region as well, as the Isle of Wight tries to come up with new ways to attract both national and international visitors. Bringing in the new Chair, David Curtis-Brignell MBE, in November 2023 was a solid move, as a vast amount of experience working on the English Tourist Board. His knowledge could be what the Isle of Wight needs to see a boom in tourist numbers.
What Are the Current Tourism Figures on the Isle of Wight?
The Isle of Wight currently attracts around 2.6 million visitors every year, making it the most popular island in the British Isles by some margin. The Isle of Skye and Anglesey round up the top three, but their tourism figures don’t come close. In addition to that, the Island Echo reported recently that the Isle of Wight has already won tourism awards. Despite leading the pack, there’s always more that can be done and the tourism industry is constantly evolving. Recently, other locations in the region such as Galway have put tourism initiatives into action, so it’s crucial that the Isle of Wight keeps pace with these destinations. Curtis-Brignell’s appointment as Chair of Visit Isle of Wight could lead to a significant positive impact thanks to his background in Destination Management Organisations. At the recent conference, there was a strong message of partnership and an emphasis on collaboration across various sectors with the unified aim of boosting the tourism industry.
How Can the Isle of Wight Boost Its Appeal?
One of the key points of the conference was the importance of accessibility in tourism. Ross Calladine from Visit England highlighted the fact that there are many low or no-cost changes that businesses can implement to become more disability aware. Visit Isle of Wight plans to host webinars to encourage local businesses to become more mindful of non-visible disabilities as well, and to make the Isle of Wight a more welcoming and inclusive location.
Isle of Wight Has Many Assets to Promote
There are various reasons why the Isle of Wight is the most popular island for tourists in the British Isles. One of the main points in its favour is its accessibility. There are cost-effective ways to get there, such as by browsing cheap flights with Opodo to Isle of Wight. The site offers comparisons of direct flights from a variety of regional airports in the UK, with EasyJet among the most popular airlines that travel there. There’s also the option for British citizens to drive to Portsmouth or Southampton and take the ferry from there. As noted in the Island Echo, there are various routes to different locations. One of the other major draws is the incredible landscape found on the Isle of Wight, making it a truly unique setting. It’s still considered the number one hotspot for dinosaur fossil discoveries in the UK as well, with Compton Bay known for various great finds. The Isle of Wight is already doing a lot of things right in the tourism realm, but there’s always room for improvement. With the new initiatives in place, there could be a major boost for the economy in the next few years.
So another emergency ambulance sent , when no injuries reported and unfortunate people were able to go home. Coast guard and life boat crew have some medical training anyhow.If the couple had been able to clamber over and get home themselves then no emergency service would be attending,at least it was still daylight. It would prevent me from calling for help if I knew so many resources would be tied up for me when there are others in need …..
Not all of us have the common sense or ability to look for another way out of a situation before calling for help.
Wasn’t dissing the people stuck,it was about level of emergency response to no actual casualties and how I would feel if I needed to call for help and then take resources away from potentially more needy.
Where, in the report, did you find any reference to the people being able to “chamber over “?
Seems To happen all the time now, 2 police vans and a patrol car because someone got bumped by a car and had no real injuries yesterday too… one would think they have nothing to do if they’re capable of sending all these resources for a few bumps and bruises
Idiot Freddie read the last comment.
If the council weren’t being over zealous and also barricading off what is a tiny hole that is not even on the path further on, they could have continued their walk along to Colwell.
Isn’t there an exit a little way back at Collwell Bay?
I just want to update people on what actually happened to the unfortunate couple caught in the landslip. Firstly they weren’t both able to aviod the fall and the lady was swept off the wall onto the rocks below and her husband bravely jumped off the edge to try and help her injuring himself in the process. The call to emergency services was made by another passer by and they were stuck in the sea for a good ten minutes before they were helped out , This was an elderly couple and they were both in shock and suffering from extreme cold .Other passers by helped them to a car which they waited in until the ambulance arrived and they were then taken to St. Marys for an overnight stay after the husband had a bad wound stitched up .
Glad to hear the couple are okay.