SUMMER TOURIST NUMBERS DROP AGAIN BY 4.2% AND VISITOR SPENDING SLUMPS

Tourism on the Isle of Wight has fallen yet again, with a 4.2% drop in the number of Summer holidaymakers and a sharp decline in visitor spending.

According to newly released figures from Visit Isle of Wight, just 443,804 people came to the Island for a holiday or day out between July and September this year – down from 463,367 in 2024. That is almost 20,000 fewer tourists year-on-year.

The data confirms a worrying, continuing downward trend, following last year’s revelation of a 26% fall in summer visitors over a 5-year period.

Shockingly, day visits for leisure have dropped by 12.4% year-on-year. Overnight leisure stays nudged up just 0.2%, but the amount each person is spending has plummeted.

The Q3 figures reveal that overnight visitors spent an average of £229.88 – down 13.16% from £264.73 last year. Daytrippers spent just £26.48, down from £33.87, down 21.81%.

Despite a slight increase in total bednights and a longer average stay of 4.9 nights, the spending power of tourists is clearly shrinking – putting further pressure on local businesses that rely on the Summer season.

Cross-Solent travel behaviour is also shifting. 66% of visitors now use their own car, up from 56% in 2024. Fewer people are arriving on foot or using public transport.

Over the first 9 months of the year, total visitor numbers are down 4.6% compared to 2024. Only 59% of overnight trips and 50% of day trips were made for leisure purposes, raising concerns about the Island’s ability to attract traditional holidaymakers.

The total spend for Q3 remained static at £115 million, but with fewer leisure tourists and lower per-head spending, that number offers little comfort to businesses bracing for a challenging off-season.