Of course you are, look at you. You’re a Bonafide VIP. You don’t want to spend your time fighting for a 2cm square of damp grass 1500m from all the action. You want to be close enough to feel the power bouncing off the bikes as the riders fly past. Duke Travel can oblige. The company is upping their offerings during the TT fortnight to make sure you leave with an experience you will never forget.
You’ve probably heard of Duke – they have been the official website for the TT and used to be the number one distributor worldwide for TT, Formula One, and World Rally coverage - you may also have seen their merch being flashed around the world but you might not have known they’ve been in the tourism industry since 2018 and are now the leading official travel agent for the TT.
‘I guess the story really is that you get into the TT travel business, and you're aware almost from day one that there's not enough ferries, there's not enough flights, and there's not enough places to sleep. So, what do you do about that?’
.png?width=209&height=140&crop=209:145,smart&quality=75)
That’s Peter Duke, the Chief Executive of Duke Travel.
‘The easiest thing we’re able to address is creating accommodation. We’ve worked with the people doing glamping and continue to sell lots of the hotel space that we can get our hands on. All of it sells, but we’re trying to fill more gaps by increasing capacity for glamping and possibly increasing more village type operations to deliver what our customers want. It’s quite an interesting way for the TT to develop and it means that somebody from Europe, or America, or Australia doesn't have to bring a tent with them.’
But it’s not just about accommodation. Duke Travel is honing in on making the experience of TT in its entirety better than ever before.
‘I've always known there's plenty of demand from bucket listers and corporate guests for more good VIP experiences, where you have nice food and drink, decent toilets, guaranteed seating in great viewing locations etc. It’s a big part of our new business model.’
Duke Travel has four different sites around the island where they offer a variety of VIP experiences for bucket listers to check off their list. There’s a Motor Museum and TT Course tour, Bray Hill hospitality, and evenings with James Hillier, Dom Herbertson, and Peter Hickman. And that’s just a sample.
‘It’s mostly outside the UK bucket listers that sort of defines our customer base. Some people have been waiting to come for 10 years. They want the trip of a lifetime, so, for example, when they arrive, they don't want to be waiting for the bus, they want someone to take them to the hotel. And the following day, they want to go on the main grandstand to see a start and finish. Then the next day they want to go somewhere else where there's good facilities and so on. So, they want up to six days mapped out with no hassle, good viewing, easy access to good facilities, and interesting events. So, it's about us providing a four-star experience at the TT.’
The impression I have of Duke Travel is that it is constantly looking at innovative ways to continue adapting its offerings to what TT enthusiasts want, so what else lies on the horizon for the company?
‘We need to do a lot more outside of TT.’ Peter tells me. ‘We’re honing in on travel companies looking to include the Isle of Man in their packages. That's certainly one thing on the agenda that should keep us busy all year round. And we want to look at bringing tourists over for different types of holiday. You know, we can cater for genealogy trips, biking tours, eco tours, walking holidays, mountain biking trips, there are people who want to come to the Isle of Man for all sorts of things, so we just need to take note and organize it for them.’
So, when you’re done watching the TT from your four-star spot, watch this space for more travel plans from Duke Travel.
To find out more about Duke Travel’s TT offerings and buy tickets, head on over to their website https://www.duketravel.com/
For more information on the incredible TT experiences offered by Duke Travel, https://www.duketravel.com/.
You can also register your interest in one of Duke Travel’s packages for the 2026 Isle of Man TT by visiting https://www.duketravel.com/isle-of-man-tt-2026/