Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CASE STUDY
Marketing activ
i
ties at Isle of Wight Tourism
Introduction
Isle of Wight Tourism is a department of the
I
sl
e
of Wight Council. Its primary role is to market the Isle of
Wight as the UK's premier island destination to d
o
mestic and overseas visitors. The department is responsible
for the following marketing activities in relation to tourism.
Marketing communications
Isle of Wight Tourism is committed to communicating clear a
n
d
consistent messages about tourism on the
Island to all relevant target markets. The department carefully m
o
nitors national tourism statistics to assess
comparative growth both nationally and locally, including ferry tr
af
fi c, accommodation type used, length of
stay, etc. For example, statistics published in the department's
Qua
r
terly Tourism Monitor
reveal a steady
increase in day visitors and the short break market, indicating a need
t
o concentrate attention on providing
an experience of the highest quality to encourage visitors to return to the Island. In terms of timing, the
Island actively promotes itself via national advertising campaigns in the J
an
uary to March and Easter to peak
season period.
Online marketing
Isle of Wight Tourism maintains the offi cial tourism website for those interested in I
s
le of Wight holiday
information (
www.islandbreaks.co.uk
). The website regularly attracts half a million visit
o
rs per year, the vast
majority of whom are interested in information on holidays, activities, experiences, etc. A presence on the
website is provided free of charge to all businesses that register with Isle of Wight Tourism
.
Advertising on
the website is also available.
Market research
Isle of Wight Tourism conducts on-ferry and business surveys producing quarterly and annual rep
o
rts with
details of visitor numbers, trends and changes to the tourism income of the island. Information i
s
freely
available online.
Press and PR
Press and PR staff from Isle of Wight Tourism are in regular contact with media contacts to gain extra
publicity for the Island. Over 100 journalists visit the island every year, with the intention of writing tourism
