Visit Isle of Man recently announced the launch of digital detox holidays, where visitors can hand in their phones and enjoy an old-fashioned holiday.

In exchange for their modern tech, visitors receive a map, a compass, books on wildlife and plants, magnifying glass and cards.

We went to Strand Street to ask what the public think of the idea and if they could give up their phones or other devices.

Sean Doyle, 25, Douglas, said he’d ’never heard of anything like it before’ and that it may be a good idea to attract tourists.

However, he did admit: ’I wouldn’t hand my phone in.’

He raised concerns about what would happen if someone needed to be contacted in the event of an emergency.

Laura Mealin said: ’I don’t think it will take off, I just don’t think people will go for it.’

She admitted she would struggle to give up her phone for a holiday.

Christian Davis, from Douglas, said that people in the UK ’live different, busier lives so the island could sell the quiet, peaceful holiday’.

And he said he believed that he could leave his phone at home and enjoy a more traditional holiday.

Jamie Cullen, also from Douglas, said that if people have their phones, they are likely to use them.

He added: ’If someone is from across, then how would someone contact them in an emergency or how would they contact someone if they needed help, even just finding somewhere or checking a phone number?’

One pair we spoke to, Marcus and Maria Dixon, from Port Erin, both said that they couldn’t leave their phone or tablets/laptops for any extended period of time.

Marcus said: ’I have to be able to check my phone for work, even on holidays, I have to be able to get my phone.

’But more than that, when we go anywhere on holiday, we like to research things to do while we’re there, so we can work out what we want to do for the next day.

’If we came to the island, we’d want to know what’s on, so we’d want up to date information on what is happening in Port Erin rather than just turn up and see what, if anything, is on.’

However they did agree that a weekend would ’maybe’ be something that they would enjoy but Maria said it was ’not something we fancy for a longer period’.

Two women who had no problem with the idea of leaving their phones behind were Sue Hammond, of Santon and Helen Corlett, of Douglas.

Sue said: ’We grew up without them anyway so it wouldn’t bother me at all.’

Helen added: ’But it is very different now. Children have grown up with technology and it’s part of their lives so I don’t know if they’d be interested or could leave them behind.’

They doubted whether the holidays would actually attract many families. Sue said it was more of a holiday for ’the older generation’ who might have grown up focussing more on animals and plants as they didn’t have the range of technology available today.

Helen suggested people should start their own digital detoxes with smaller steps such as putting their phones in boxes during meetings or putting them away in the evening to avoid being ’glued’ to their phones all day.