Tourism body now responsible for welcome centre

The welcome centre can be found in the Sea Terminal building in Douglas

Political responsibility for the Isle of Man's welcome centre has moved to the body tasked with promoting tourism.

The Cabinet Office previously had oversight of the service, which has now been taken on by Visit Isle of Man.

The centre, at the Sea Terminal building in Douglas, provides information on local attractions and events for tourists and residents.

Visit Isle of Man said it aimed to "further elevate" services to "improve the visitor experience and promote the depth and breadth of what’s on offer".

'Visitor experience'

Created in 2007 and originally known as Tourist Information, the centre was part of the tourism sector until the Department of Community, Culture, and Leisure was dissolved in 2014 when the Cabinet Office took on responsibility.

Visit Isle of Man chief executive Deborah Heather said the welcome centre was "not only a valued asset for local residents but is also the primary front door for the Isle of Man’s visitor information".

Such centres "play an important part for discovery and promotion" and "they are gateways to fostering deep connections between visitors and the places they explore," she said.

The move would allow the agency to "take more accountability for supporting both residents and the visitor experience" to align with the island's ten-year visitor economy strategy which aims to increase the number of holidaymakers visiting the island to 500,000 by 2032, she confirmed.

Sarah Maltby MHK, political member with responsibility for Tourism and Motorsport, said while Visit Isle of Man "has always worked closely" with centre the transition "enables the team to join colleagues in the Department for Enterprise, who share many responsibilities".

"I am confident that this partnership will align the priorities that look to secure the future of the island’s tourism landscape," she added.