Visit Isle of Man, an Executive Agency within the Department for Enterprise, has today (Tuesday 25 February) unveiled its 3 year strategic plan at its ninth annual Industry Tourism Day, held at the Villa Marina.
Over 100 representatives with an interest in tourism and the visitor economy were in attendance to listen to presentations which outlined the agency’s ambitions of attracting 340,000 visitors per annum to the Island by 2023, which in turn will bring visitor spending of £159 million into the Visitor Economy, supporting more than 3,500 jobs in the sector.
Building on our UNESCO Biosphere status and drive for sustainable tourism, the strategy set out six core actions to ensure the targeted promotion and consistent development of the sector: visitor experience, partnerships, product and event innovation, promotion and marketing, policy development and enhanced research and measurement.
Rob Callister MHK, Political Member with responsibility for Visit Isle of Man and Motorsport commented:
‘The competition for the tourism pound is fiercer than ever and in order to compete effectively we must create a common sense of purpose and strategic direction to build and promote the Isle of Man as a quality visitor destination. There are considerable opportunities across the UK and Ireland, with the UK staycation market currently worth £14 billion to the UK economy. Amid economic uncertainties, this market shows no sign of slowing and we must therefore look to capture a representative share.
‘Providing an exceptional visitor experience and promoting a service culture is fundamental to Visit Isle of Man’s strategy. The core business disciplines and visitor first approach which have been developed by the Agency to date is testament to this. The annual Industry Tourism Day is an integral component of this strategic action, providing the perfect platform for industry and agency to collaborate and network. It was wonderful to see so many in attendance this year.
Ranald Caldwell, Non-Executive Chair of Visit Isle of Man, added:
‘Today we have outlined an ambitious vision for tourism which cannot be achieved by Visit Isle of Man alone but must happen in the spirit of partnership. Experience from other jurisdictions tells us that more effective relationships with travel trade and local stakeholders will be the single biggest improvement for Visit Isle of Man in terms of attracting more visitors whilst improving their experience on Island. Our primary focus for the duration of the strategy will therefore be to take the lead on the formation of an enhanced network of key operators and agencies and engage with a mix of distribution partners who will champion the Isle of Man as a quality visitor destination and position us in the market.’
‘Whilst today outlines our strategy to 2023, the agency has recently started work on an enhanced 10 year strategy which looks at the work and commitment required if we want to achieve 500,000 visitors per annum by 2030. Our industry partners will all have the opportunity to take part in this exciting journey that has the potential to transform the industry and the quality of Island life.’
Keynote speaker on the day, Linda Moir, expert in HR and customer service, further extolled the importance of providing an exceptional visitor experience. Further to Linda’s valuable insights on customer experience, the agency outlined its promise to deliver a supplementary programme of learning and development to encourage the best use of tools and channels to improve the efficiency of the sector for the benefit of visitors to the Island.
The Visit Isle of Man Strategic Plan to 2023 is available online.
