Chaired by Brett Martin, the Visitor Economy Committee represents a broad range of the visitor industry. The committee meets on a bi-monthly basis.
If you are visiting the Isle of Man, please see our Member Directory for details of travel and accommodation providers.
Committee Membership
| Member | Organisation |
| Brett Martin (Chair) | Sefton Hotel |
| Rom Kesa | Mannin Hotel |
| Sara Richards | Ballacamish Farm Cottages |
| Renee Caley | Isle of Man Steam Packet Company |
| William Carroll | Groudle Glen Cottages |
| Joanne Richardson | UCM |
| Edmund Southworth | Manx National Heritage |
| John Watt | Isle of Man Steam Packet Company |
| Linda Maddrell | Sleepwell Hotels Group |
| Andrew Foxon | Go-Mann Adventures |
| Neil Grey | Empress Hotel |
| Nigel Taylor | Rock Food Concepts |
About the Committee
This Committee is dedicated to working with Government to promote growth in all aspects of the visitor economy (VE) and to encourage better understanding of its value to the economy of the Island as a whole. The development of close working relationships between different sectors of the industry are considered vital to the success of the aims and objectives set by the group for 2018.
Vision:
To promote the visitor economy of the Isle of Man, improve the commercial success of members of the IOM Chamber of Commerce and to encourage and develop an ‘Excellence as Standard’ approach to the Isle of Man Tourism Industry, across all service providers.
2018 Priorities and Objectives
The Committee's aims are:
- To ensure that the benefits of a successful VE are valued by all members of the IOM Chamber of Commerce
- To work with Government to produce and continuously develop an effective visitor strategy for the short, medium and long term
- Working with Government to ensure the VE is fully considered in strategic and local planning
- To act as an advocate for the VE and educate key stakeholders in the overall contribution to the economy and quality of Manx life made by the sector
- To promote the island to key audiences, locations and agencies off-island
- To develop an engaged, skilled and passionate workforce for the future and encourage career development
The committee will achieve this by:
- Building up collaborative relationships with other Chamber of Commerce members from other committees and sectors of the Manx economy
- Giving feedback to Government so that they can monitor the effectiveness of their strategy, policies and practice
- Working with Government to ensure the VE is fully considered in strategic and local planning
- Collecting data and conducting research on the performance of the sector
- Collecting data and conducting research on users and audiences to meet their expectations and requirements
- Providing a network to share information and activities
- Raising the profile of the hospitality industry as a chosen career path and working closely with University College Isle of Man so as to provide relevant training meeting industry needs
- Monitoring travel links and giving feedback to the appropriate agencies on performance, effectiveness and any significant proposed operational changes
- Monitoring potential Irish Sea windfarms developments and campaigning to ensure minimal negative impact on air and sea routes and visitor economy
- Assisting in the creation of systems which allow members to reduce costs by working together and maximising investment e.g. online booking
- Having effective leadership with a democratically elected Chairperson and vice-chairperson sitting for fixed two year terms
- Holding an annual Manx Hospitality Day event (2017 event on 6th April)
Action Plan for 2018:
- To engage with DED and Members of Government regarding the Visitor Economy generally and in particular the Destination Management Plan 2016-2020 and Tourism section of Vision 2020
- To build up networks across other sectors of the economy at Chamber of Commerce Council meetings to enhance the importance of Tourism and Hospitality industry to the Isle of Man, by way of combined supply chain and service delivery contributions to GDP, local employment and the availability of a sustained leisure and associated retail service provision to Island residents
- Travel links will be regularly monitored at meetings to assess the impact of the VES and any other factors
- Developing with DED (and others) and supporting new data gathering and analysis tools
- Raising the profile of the hospitality industry as a chosen career path
- Supporting the TSE Occupancy Survey and encouraging participation
- Contribute to Douglas Master Plan, Eastern Strategic Plan and relevant Consultations
Learn more
Learn more about our other committees here