The Isle of Wight’s hospitality and tourism sector is being urged to prepare for the return of summer visitors as the Government gives the green light for hotels, B&Bs and campsites to reopen from 4th July.
With summer staycations now in sight, Visit Isle of Wight, the Isle of Wight Council and the Island’s MP have joined forces to help push the Island to the forefront of the highly-competitive UK holiday market.
Welcoming yesterday’s announcement by the Prime Minister, Isle of Wight Council Leader Dave Stewart has said he hopes it has marked a turning point for Island businesses and local livelihoods.
“This is excellent news for our Island tourism and hospitality economy and reflects the safe and steady approach we have taken throughout this crisis.
“We can now work with our Island businesses to ensure we are able to save our summer — while still keeping our community safe and protected.
“The Island has so much to offer and because of restrictions with holidaying abroad, people can look to the Island for a safe and relaxing break after all the turbulence and stress of the coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown.
“At the same time, we are looking at how we can put in place a system where people can leave contact details that can be used by tracing if needed.
“We need to get ourselves ready, offer the best experience we can in the circumstances and also remember to take time to enjoy our Island ourselves.
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Will Myles, managing director of Visit Isle of Wight, has said it is important the Island speaks with one voice in reassuring visitors and residents that the Isle of Wight is taking positive action in welcoming tourism safely back. Mr Myles has also said it is just as important for visitors to know what is expected of them to help protect the Island’s community from the virus.
Will has revealed that a series of tourism and hospitality industry information sessions are being prepared to support local tourism-related businesses. These online sessions will take into account the government guidelines which are yet to be released, as well as the Visit England national ‘We’re Good To Go’ standards, which sit alongside the Isle of Wight’s own local ‘Good To Go’ brand.
“Understandably, public health is always the priority during the Covid-19 outbreak, but for tourism and hospitality, this day and the 4 July have been a long time coming.
“Now that the announcement is here, we have to be ready to welcome our visitors back onto our beautiful island — but we have to give them the confidence to book with our businesses.
“It is important we are all saying and doing the same thing to ensure we can say to them, ‘We’re good to go — the Island is waiting for you to return!”
The government has also announced that, from the same date, some leisure facilities and tourist attractions can re-open, as long as they could do so safely. This includes outdoor gyms and playgrounds, cinemas, museums, galleries, theme parks and arcades, as well as libraries, social clubs, places of worship and community centres.
Bob Seely MP has said the changes will enable many Island tourism-related businesses to implement plans they have been working up over the past few weeks. He says:
“I welcome the changes which the Prime Minister has announced. I have spoken to many Island businesses throughout the Covid-19 outbreak who have been struggling and I have been calling on Ministers to help.
“The Prime Minister recognised the two-metre social distancing rule effectively made it impossible for the hospitality industry to operate and I thank him, and others, for relaxing it.
“I particularly thank Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston, who I have spoken to twice in the past few days, for listening and responding to me. I hope that he will now consider the other points I raised in my recent letter to him seeking further help for tourism-related businesses, including coach operators who do not yet have any specific guidance for their industry.
“As the Prime Minister said – our long-time hibernation is beginning to come to an end. We need to make sure that tourism-related businesses are not left behind in the fight for survival against the Covid-19 virus and I will take all necessary steps to ensure they have the best possible support to enable them to succeed.
“The Island is a leading tourism destination in the UK and I don’t want us to lose that. Today, I have been in discussions with Will Myles from Visit IOW to see how we can help the Island’s tourism economy to move forward and help Island businesses as they take their first steps in welcoming back visitors. We must work together to ensure this happens in the safest way possible.”
Will the Ferries be doing thermal checks on all the tourists?
Hahaha . Only if they are forced to do so. Like all businesses, money is God… health and life come second & third.
Perhaps you should show up albert and do these checks yourself – why should the hard pressed ferry staff, who have been working non stop throughout this, be expected to nanny state everyone.
All visitors as mentioned above should be leaving contact details in case for track and trace purposes.
Hang on, the world beating NHS App was supposed to be doing that ! !
Ooooops, forgot it wasn’t going to work before they introduced it with huge words and fanfare.
I just hope St Mary’s can cope if the visitors bring the virus with them.
I’m sure some of the visitors will bring the virus with them, stay for a few days, infect the locals, then, the visitors will return home, and in turn leave the island with it’s very own 2nd peak. The island will then be put into local lockdown and the visitors will be back home, safe and sound, checks at the ferry ports needs to be done, thermal checks are a good idea.
Its such a shame mark that u and many others just don’t seem to want people to come to the island for a break, most of whom are families, and assume that we have the virus, the island is a beautiful place surely for all to enjoy not just people who live there, these constant negative comments from various islanders about people living on the mainland not being welcome is not good for the tourism there and those that are NOT retired on the island who need visitors to come to support them financially.
There will be a load of disappointed visitors then!