Many of the island’s hotels still have vacancies available just a week before TT.

Looking at night next Thursday (June 2), as an example, the Premier Inn in Douglas has double bed rooms available for £151.50 at the cheapest price.

This is the first TT that the chain hotel will have been open for, and it is not fully booked.

At other times of the year rooms are typically available for around £60, and occasionally as low as £35.

According to booking.com figures for the same night, the four-star Sefton has rooms available for £166.

For that night there are also vacancies at traditional bed and breakfasts, such as Arndale House on Hutchinson Square, is offering a double room for £174.

Speaking to Welbeck Hotel proprietor Michael George, whose hotel is ‘almost full’, he said that ‘we actually had more heads on beds last weekend than we will have at any time during the races and have already had some other hectic periods’.

Mr George explained that the reason for having slightly lower numbers during TT is that there are fewer multi/extra bedrooms available, and that ‘though we’ve had a few late cancellations, they’ve re-filled pretty quickly’.

‘It will be great to see our regular guests again and they’re all very excitedly looking forward to coming back, though we have lost a few for various reasons,’ he added.

‘Our biggest challenge is staffing the hotel and it’ll be hard work for our small team’.