That's according to the MHK with political responsibility for tourism Geoff Corkish.

He's launched the Department of Economic Development's three-year visitor strategy which aims to increase the number of people coming to the Island to 300,000 by 2015.

That would represent around 13,000 (thirteen thousand) more than in 2010.

This will be done by, among other things, targeting more niche markets and having more specialised events.

Mr Corkish sees the price of getting here as a 'challenge' rather than an barrier.


Listen to the audio clip HERE


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On what planet does that bloody fool live ??

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Ah, well that seems to have set the mood for the response of one sector of the public I think !

Anyone else care to contribute ?

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(02-03-2012, 06:01 PM)Malcolm Wrote: .
Ah, well that seems to have set the mood for the response of one sector of the public I think !

Anyone else care to contribute ?

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I think the statement (MHK) is made with hope and fingers crossed......

its this kind of thinking that thwarts many a business

I'm with Larry on this. Corkish is correct in saying it's a challenge though...and for many people (and competitors) it's becoming an insurmountable one.

If he's trying to say that the only visitors welcome on the IOM these days are the ones wealthy enough for the travel costs not to be an issue, then he'd better have a plan for sorting out the litter strewn coastline, run down town centres, a restaurant/catering trade that is mediocre at best and staffed by people with no professional pride and some frankly rather poor (and expensive) hotels, because people with plenty of money are used to very much better than the IOM is currently capable of supplying.

Despite all of the above I still love the Island but people like Corkish who appear to have a very tenuous grip on reality are going to bring the place down and soon...

I fear for the future of the MGP if people like him are making the decisions. Not a clue as to the real world

(02-03-2012, 02:51 PM)Malcolm Wrote:

If people want to come to the Isle of Man, the cost of travel wouldn't put them off.

That's according to the MHK with political responsibility for tourism Geoff Corkish.

He's launched the Department of Economic Development's three-year visitor strategy which aims to increase the number of people coming to the Island to 300,000 by 2015.

That would represent around 13,000 (thirteen thousand) more than in 2010.

This will be done by, among other things, targeting more niche markets and having more specialised events.

Mr Corkish sees the price of getting here as a 'challenge' rather than an barrier.


Listen to the audio clip HERE

It would be interesting to hear what those who travel to the Island have to say about that !!

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I find it hard to believe that the aim is only to increase the number of tourists to the IOM by 13,000 by 2015, you certainly can't accuse them of being over ambitious!

Examples of others events

40ft race truck return UK IOM TT week £429
Same truck UK Holland week after TT week £440
Same truck UK to Ireland shortest journey UGP £512

We have good standard Hotels in every country as well as poor Hotels/B&Bs. The IOM only has a short Tourist season not like other areas, Blackpool being a good example most Hotels B&Bs are of the worst standard about but not many complain. The big cities will always have better standard Hotels as the have year round trade from the Business people, who's companies pay the bills. Anyone who travels to the NW will find that the accommodations available is not always the best and few and far between.
Now the IOM only has one Shipping company, which is also the lifeline of the Island, it cant run at a loss otherwise it will be lost. It runs to the UK twice a day return all year round and its main income is freight, on many sailings out of the peak tourist times it will sail with very little passengers, I have personally seen as few as 10 on one sailing. To carry any passengers the shipping company by law must provide a minimum crew which at many times out numbers the passengers costing the company a lot of money, they have to make this loss up somewhere, it would be much easier for the IOMSP just to run a freight ship, but they don't they provide a lifeline for the Islands people. The UK does not have this problem with shipping as it has the volume of people all year round, but saying this, some shipping companies that carry passengers have gone to the wall or near to it.
Hotels or B&Bs on the island also don't have the volume of paying visitors year round but still have to pay all the annual bills and keep the buildings warm. They also face higher expenses that those of the UK or Europe, Power and heating twice the cost of the UK, food 10/15% more here than the UK.
There is no immediate fix to the problems unless they move the island to the med and Easy jet and Ryan Air going into shipping.

I went for aprox 40 yrs but now its cheaper to go to ireland north and south so its kells and armoy for me.

I know lads from here have stopped going to TT, due to costs.
I went to Portugal for WSB, stayed for 10 days ( 2 of us), hired a car and stayed in a n apartment, just for a few quid more than it takes ME for 10 days at TT!!