Tourism rift could hit the Isle of Wight for £50m

9:28am Tuesday 6th May 2008

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MORE than £50m could be wiped off the value of the Isle of Wight's tourism income this year because of poor marketing and promotion, business leaders are warning.

The £500m industry is the Island's biggest employer but has endured three years of static growth and now faces a significant drop off, according to the chamber of commerce, which is highly critical of the council's marketing efforts.

Council bosses hit back, accusing the chamber of "scaremongering" just to generate demand among tourism businesses for its new marketing publications.

The chamber has launched its own pocket guide to the Island in direct competition with the council's version.

It's the latest development in a simmering feud between the chamber and local politicians, sparked by the council's decision not to support Isle of Wight Tourism Limited - a move to create a dedicated tourism company for the Island.

In an unprecedented verbal assault amounting to a vote of no confidence, the chamber previously called into doubt the council's "ability to manage and govern effectively".

It says figures from the Island Visitor Attractions Association show a 30 per cent slump and hoteliers are reporting a 10 per cent drop off mean the overall tourism take will be ten percent down - £50m.

The chamber plans its own accommodation guide, online project and advertising campaign to boost the dwindling numbers of visitors.

Well-known names backing the chamber's plan include Blackgang Chine, Amazon World, Robin Hill, Needles Pleasure Park and Godshill Model Village.

Supporting more than 30,000 jobs, tourism is the Island's biggest employer and has attracted hundreds of thousands of people in recent years with music festivals featuring the likes of the Rolling Stones, David Bowie and this year's headliners The Police with Sting, pictured.

Its success is essential to firms across the region, not least ferry companies Red Funnel and Wightlink, which rely on tourist traffic.

Council leader David Pugh said: "We want to be talking up the Island. We are not going to achieve anything by expressing public concern about the state of our economy. No one is going to benefit.

"The chamber are launching their own publications so they are keen to give the view that there's a problem because it will affect businesses thinking about going into those publications. There seems to be a connection that at the same time they are talking about their own publications they are talking down the Island.

"We welcome competition in the market but we don't believe that that should be achieved by talking down the Island. We hope they can adopt a more positive tone. Investors won't be encouraged to the Island by a media spat."

Chamber spokesman Kevin smith said: "The chamber's actions have come about because of the council's lack of action and commitment to the tourism industry and their consistent refusal to listen to the concerns of the Island's tourism industry.

"As a result of this, the industry are now setting up their own destination marketing organisation. How-ever, they would be happy to work now or in the future with the Isle of Wight Council on this new venture. "