Spending £50,000 on hosting a group of travel writers’ could be worth over £1m of equivalent advertising spend.

That’s according to Visit Isle of Man, who recently hosted over 50 members of the British Guild of Travel Writers, the UK’s leading association for travel media professionals, for their annual general meeting.

Throughout their four days on the island, from 5th - 8th February, the writers were treated to trips out on the railways, to heritage spots like the Laxey Wheel and dined out at of the island’s hospitality businesses.

Visit Isle of Man, an agency for the Department of Enterprise, say it was a strategic move to host the Guild’s AGM on the island to build momentum gained from the Agency’s successful PR outcomes achieved in 2023.

It added that amplifying the island’s presence through extensive and robust PR initiatives, the success of the campaign was evident in the exponential increase in reach, growing from 250,000 in June to 5.8 billion by the end of 2023. Most of the travel writers’ stayed on the island for three to four days following their AGM, and are now expected to deliver a minimum of 50 articles in national and regional publications, including Forbes and Coast Magazine.

The Guild, having previously visited destinations such as Malta, Tenerife, South Carolina and Poland, celebrated its 64th year in the island this year.

And while on the island, members of the Guild also attended the launch event of the ‘Manx Menu’ campaign at Cycle 360. This is a joint collaboration between Business Isle of Man and Visit Isle of Man that aims to ‘celebrate the diverse and innovative ecosystem of local food and drink businesses and producers’. Ranald Caldwell, Chair of Visit Isle of Man, commented on the visit. He said: ‘With a modest investment of approximately £50,000, 97% of which was spent with on-island tourism and hospitality businesses, we anticipate a substantial return on investment exceeding £1 million based on the equivalent advertising spend in previous years.

‘Moreover, the potential reach and syndication of articles by the travel writers will further amplify our promotional efforts. It is estimated a reach figure of over 125 million will be achieved based on the commissions secured by the writers.’

 Deborah Heather, chief executive officer of Visit Isle of Man, added: ‘Visit Isle of Man has always hosted journalists through individual press visits, and this was a brilliant opportunity to up the ante, host the travel writers collectively, in a cost effective way.

‘With the writers representing publications in our biggest feeder markets, we are deliberately driving coverage pre-season, hopefully impacting on consumer buying decisions.’

Daphne Caine MHK, Political Member with responsibility for Tourism and Motorsport, said: ‘We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to showcase our extraordinary island to such esteemed travel professionals.

‘Collaborations like these are invaluable in elevating the Isle of Man’s profile on the global stage, fostering deep connections with influential voices in the travel industry, and ultimately attracting more visitors to experience our rich heritage, vibrant culture, stunning landscapes and warm hospitality first-hand.’