Isle of Man TT: Plea for volunteer marshals to come forward

The event was last held on the island in 2019

An appeal has been made for marshals to staff the Isle of Man TT races when they return after a two-year break.

The event is due to run between 29 May and 10 June after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19.

Enterprise Minister Alex Allinson made the appeal while highlighting the challenges faced in staging the races following the hiatus.

Dr Allinson said it was important to involve younger generations in the event to provide "sustainability".

Giving evidence to Tynwald's Economic Policy Review Committee, he said: "We rely on a large number of volunteers and enthusiasts to allow the event to run.

"Marshals haven't had any role for the last two years so we need to get on with the retraining, we need to get on with getting marshals to come forward, whether they are on the island or off, whether they have marshalled before, but also that we talk to people on our island, particularly young people, to get them involved in the event as well.

"The TT is based on the people of this island and our visitors, marshalling, being track-side, being part of the event. That's one of the things that makes it unique."

He called on those who had been "resting for the past two years" or had never before volunteered, to sign up for training.

Dr Allinson said bringing the TT back after the enforced break was an "even bigger challenge" than normal but said they had received an "almost record numbers of entries".

'Hospitality offering'

Turning to accommodation, Dr Allinson said a dip in the number of properties registered for the homestay scheme would be an additional challenge.

However he said the island had "some incredible campsites" as part of its "diverse hospitality offering", adding: "Hopefully people who want to come over here will find a place for them to stay."

The committee was told the government was expected to invest about £9m into TT races and August's Manx Grand Prix, with a direct return of about £3m.

However, enterprise chief executive Mark Lewin said the overall benefit to the Manx economy would be far higher.