The island’s tourism sector will be offered support through the winter months.

Enterprise Minister Laurence Skelly has told a Tynwald committee his department is working with Treasury to deliver a plan.

The economic policy review committee heard evidence from Mr Skelly, Enterprise chief executive Mark Lewin and Visit Isle of Man chiefs Angela Byrne and Randal Caldwell.

Chairman of the committee Chris Robertshaw (Douglas East), himself a former hotel boss, said this summer had been an ’absolutely agony’, particularly for the businesses on the promenade.

He added: ’There are clearly two tasks ahead. One, to get the sector through this winter and as far as possible, fit and ready for next year.

’But there is a deeper one because the impact that Covid has had on the sector has been incredibly serious.’

Despite this, Mr Robertshaw says the tourism sector has a bright future, but it must look forward and not backwards.

However, Mr Skelly said we shouldn’t focus solely on the sector’s value as GDP, saying ’it means so much more, I think, to our island’.

He said the tourist sector brings benefits to ’our wellbeing, our quality of life and I think we [DfE] wanted to recognise that and that’s why we created the Visit Agency to focus on that’.

Mr Skelly also indicated that the government will be supporting the industry through what will be a long winter.

However Mr Robertshaw said the industry needs answers in order to keep its senior staff and secure future jobs.

Mr Skelly said: ’We are working very closely with the Treasury, which is part of the economic recovery group and we’ve already gained to the extension with the salary support scheme in the first instance which was important before we determine what the strategic capacity would actually look like.

’So we’re very keen to put something on the table as quickly as possible.’