Visit Isle of Man Strategic Plan

The Visitor Economy Strategy – ‘Our Island, Our Future’ outlines the strategic plan for growing the Isle of Man’s Visitor Economy through to 2032.

The Isle of Man is home to an extraordinary offering for visitors, from our rich heritage and distinct cultural identity, to our ever-changing landscapes. All of which contribute to our UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status. Well managed, sustainable visitor discovery and enjoyment of the Island’s seas, coastline and countryside can also make a positive contribution to the conservative goals of UNESCO Biosphere Isle of man.

Along with its headline target of growing annual visitor numbers to 500,000, with a subsequent economic contribution of £520m, by 2032 the Visit Agency is aiming to increase visitor economy jobs to 5,000.

Action Programmes Our Principles

Action Programmes

The ‘Our Island, Our Future’ Visitor Economy Strategy comprises seven Action Programmes to meet its key objectives:

Programme 1: Air & Sea Access Improvement
Programme 2: Quality Improvement
Programme 3: Visitor Accommodation Transformation
Programme 4: Visitor Product Development
Programme 5: Events Development
Programme 6: Market Development
Programme 7: Talent Development

The delivery of each programme will be instigated, co-ordinated and supported by the Visit Agency working in partnership with other delivery agencies, Government departments and the private sector.

Our Principles

Our Island, Our Future is based on the following core principles that will guide how we grow our Visitor Economy:

Visitor First

To be successful as a visitor destination everything that we do must be driven by the needs and expectations of our visitors. We must be clear about:

Who we want to attract;
What they are looking for from their visit to the Island;
How we will deliver an experience for them that exceeds their expectations.

Environmental Sustainability

We must do everything in our power to ensure that the development of our Visitor Economy is environmentally sustainable, respects and enhances our seascape, coastline, countryside, nature, heritage, culture and communities, and contributes to reducing the impact of climate change on the Island. Our visitor industry must be firmly focused on eliminating its carbon footprint. Our ambition is to be a leading British ecotourism destination that provides a range of opportunities for visitors to connect with our unique nature and wildlife.

Memorable Experiences

Holidays and short breaks are times when people make memories. We must ensure that the memories our visitors take away with them are positive and lasting, so that they will return and encourage others to come.

Financial Sustainability

We need to ensure that our visitor businesses are financially sustainable and able to continuously invest in maintaining and improving their quality, by extending the season and increasing visitor numbers.

Making the Most of Our USPs

As an Island destination with a fantastic seascape, coastline and landscape, UNESCO Biosphere designation, unique Manx heritage, culture and food, and international recognition as the home of the TT, we have many unique assets as a place to visit. There is so much more that we can do to make use of these USPs to help us stand out as a destination and get ahead of the competition.

In It for the Long-Term

This strategy is not about quick wins and easy successes. It is about recognising the need for sustained government and private sector investment in building a competitive visitor destination over time and taking it to market.