The Isle of Man recorded its best year for tourism in a decade in 2024, welcoming 329,613 visitors - the highest annual total since at least 2014.

And visitors pumped more than £210 million into the local economy, according to the latest figures from the Isle of Man Passenger Survey.

Statistics show that 307,934 people travelled to the island for business or leisure last year, with a further 21,679 arriving by cruise ship.

Total visitor expenditure reached £212.04 million, including £1.88 million from cruise passengers. The average spend per visitor was calculated at £663, with visitors staying an average of just over five nights on the island.

The 2024 survey, conducted by independent research firm Tourism South East, represents the first full year of tourism data collected since 2018.

Data collection was suspended during the pandemic from 2020 to 2022, with only partial figures recorded in 2023.

More than 1.6 million bed nights were recorded last year, and nearly two-thirds of visitors stayed in paid accommodation, according to the stats.

Holidaymakers made up 39.9% of all visitors, closely followed by those visiting friends and relatives (38.4%). Business travellers accounted for 21.6% of the total.

The 2024 total marks a significant increase on previous years - even when cruise visitors are included in historic data, as is now standard international practice but was not routinely applied in the Isle of Man before Visit Isle of Man took over responsibility for the survey.

In comparison, the island welcomed 279,776 visitors in 2014, 292,268 in 2015, 313,975 in 2016, 312,185 in 2017 and 316,654 in 2018.

The data confirms 2024 as the strongest tourism year in the past decade, both in terms of volume and value.

Tourism spending has also grown significantly. In 2018, total visitor spend stood at £132.8 million. That figure has increased by nearly 60% in 2024, fuelled by higher per-visitor spending and a strong performance across key sectors, including cultural tourism, motorsport, and cruise travel.

Satisfaction levels remain high, with 98.7% of visitors saying the island met or exceeded their expectations. The most popular activities included walking and exploring the outdoors (61%), visiting heritage sites (25%), attending motorsport events (23.9%) and riding the heritage railways (22.7%).

Visit Isle of Man CEO Deborah Heather said the results show the island’s tourism strategy is bearing fruit.

‘We are delighted with the outcome,’ she said. ‘Visitor spending exceeded £210 million, and satisfaction levels remained consistently high - clear indicators that our long-term strategy is delivering,’ she said.

Political member for tourism Sarah Maltby MHK said: ‘These results reflect a strong performance and highlight the essential role tourism plays in the Island’s economy.’

She added that TT 2024 and cruise visits were particular highlights, with 47,000 TT visitors - the most since the 2007 centenary - and a growing cruise market helping attract new audiences.

The Passenger Survey uses the internationally recognised Cambridge Model methodology. It was relaunched in 2023 under new management and fully resumed in 2024.