The Isle of Wight Passenger Survey recorded 826,249 visitors between January and June 2025, a fall of 5.1% from the same period a year earlier. Arrivals by car dropped by 11% alone. As for the months, the first nine months had a steady decline of 4.6%. However, the summer quarter’s leisure visits alone fell by 12.4%.
None of that is unique to the Island. VisitEngland recorded an 18% national drop in domestic overnight tourism across April and June. However, the local figures do tell us what’s on the horizon for the Island, and for businesses who rely on tourism, moving their business online should be a consideration.
Looking at the Numbers
The delightful little village of Shanklin on the Isle of Wight, England. Photo by Bob Radlinski. pic.twitter.com/2xy0SIVww2
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The reduced number of visitors does look daunting, and for some businesses that rely on volume, it is.
There’s an upside, though. Spending didn’t fall with the number of visitors. In fact, the average spend rose 17% for overnight visitors and nearly 40% for day visitors. Typical stay also lengthened from 4.6 nights to 4.9.
Something else worth mentioning is that third-quarter expenditure in 2025 held at £115 million. This remains in line with the 2024 figures.
Based on this research, it’s clear that while the Island is receiving fewer visitors, spending is increasing.
For some businesses, like luxury dining, this might be okay. For an independent shop relying on tourism, though, a 12.4% reduction in footfall may be an issue.
Businesses Least Exposed
There are some firms on the Island that won’t even feel these reduced tourism numbers.
Britten-Norman, for example, builds Islander aircraft at Bembridge and sells them worldwide. They don’t rely on tourists visiting the island, so they’ll do just fine.
However, not every business model can copy this. For those that can’t, a secondary, or backup, sales channel is recommended to ensure continuity.
Examples of Businesses Going Online Successfully
The shift is measurable across the whole economy. Internet sales now account for around 28% of all retail in Britain, up by 7% since 2020.
Grocery shopping has done well. Supermarkets that treated delivery as a side operation in 2020 now run it as a core channel because of how much it is used.
Online casinos have done something similar. A casino online UK that offers slots, live casino games, bingo, and more now takes advantage of this £6.9 billion industry. The industry itself wasn’t even available 20+ years ago, so those who made the move are now flourishing.
Insurance companies made the move over a similar period. Comparison websites arrived in the early 2000s, and they completely removed the need to visit insurance premises to get underwritings.
What Going Online Doesn’t Fix
Though we recommend many businesses consider the move online, it won’t solve all problems.
A hotel cannot be delivered over broadband, and a restaurant can’t provide a service without visitors.
What the figures do suggest, though, is that it may be worth considering online, especially if a business can.
For now, it doesn’t have to replace any business models. It can act as a secondary channel that can grow when needed.
