The Department for Enterprise has launched a new three-year tourism campaign aimed at encouraging people to experience the full breadth of the Island’s offering as a visitor destination.
‘Isle of Man – The Extraordinary Story’ has been in development for several months and has been created to showcase the very best of the Island, helping to promote its distinctive culture and heritage and its wide array of attractions and outdoor activities. It will run for a minimum of three years and provide a creative foundation that can be utilised by the local tourism industry as well as provide the basis for the various promotional activities that are undertaken to promote the Isle of Man as a visitor destination.
Rob Callister MHK, the Department for Enterprise Member responsible for Tourism and Motorsport said:
‘Competition for tourism business from destinations in the UK, Ireland and further afield is greater than ever and the Isle of Man needs to continue to work hard to realise its full potential to grow its share of the tourism market.
‘The campaign delivers on the key actions laid out in our tourism strategy, the Destination Management Plan, and the Programme for Government which committed us to strengthening the links between tourism, culture and heritage. Brief details of the new campaign were highlighted at our Tourism Industry Day in February and were well received by those who attended. By committing to this creative for three years we will maximise the use of resources and create certainty for industry stakeholders.
‘The campaign initially encompasses digital advertising, print advertising and social media and is targeted at the four key audience profiles highlighted in the Isle of Man’s Destination Management Plan.
‘Our visitors can cram in so much within a short time of arrival and can be visiting one of our fantastic castles or heritage attractions, and then within half an hour can be out enjoying some sea kayaking or taking in one of our wonderful scenic walks. By which time they will want to indulge in some of the best food and drink produce that can be found in Britain.’
The centrepiece of the campaign is a 90-second film which features a host of Isle of Man-based creatives. The voiceover was narrated by well-known Isle of Man resident, John Rhys Davies, whose work is familiar to millions from his TV and film work - in particular the ‘Lord of The Rings’ trilogy.
The music was composed and performed especially to accompany the film by one of the Isle of Man’s most respected traditional musicians, David Kilgallon, supported by Shane Kerwin. David is a member of popular Celtic trad group Mec Lir.
David said:
‘I have felt honoured to write something for this film which I feel has captured an accurate spirit of the Island. As a Manxman I’m also proud to be able to have provided music based on an old collection from Thomas Kermode and bring it back to life. It has been a challenge but by pulling together a capable team of Manx musicians and engineers I was confident we could produce real quality.’
The full 90-second film can be viewed either on YouTube or via the official Isle of Man visitor portal.
The guidelines and creative assets for the new campaign are being made available at no charge for the local tourism industry to use if they wish, as part of the broad range of support that is made available to them. These can be accessed on the Visit Isle of Man Website.
