Isle of Man TT: More people urged to register for homestay scheme

Schedule changes mean racing will be held on two weekends in 2023

People opening up their homes to visitors during the 2023 Isle of Man TT races will be "vital to meet visitor demand", an MHK has said.

Department for Enterprise member Tim Crookall said schedule changes meant it was expected to be "very busy".

Under the revised programme, racing is set to be held over two weekends in a bid to attract more visitors.

People are being urged to register for the government's homestay scheme to meet the demand for accommodation.

The initiative, which is operated by local firm MiQuando for the department, allows residents to rent out rooms in their homes to visiting fans without being taxed on the money they make, up to £2,350.

However, all properties must be registered and pass inspections before the accommodation can be advertised.

Tens of thousands of fans visit the Isle of Man for the TT fortnight each year

The scheme forms a large part of the bed spaces available to the tens of thousands of visitors who travel to the festival each year, alongside the island hotels.

In the House of Keys last week, it was revealed there were 753 properties on the homestay register, with 393 confirmed as offering bed spaces for the 2023 event.

In pre-pandemic years, about 950 properties were registered, offering more than 4,000 bed spaces during the TT fortnight.

'Influx of fans'

Calling for more people to register for the scheme, Mr Crookall said the TT was a "special event" that for more than 100 years had brought "visitors from all over the globe to our shores".

He said: "Next year is expected to be a very busy and successful year for the Island's iconic motorsport event.

"We are delighted that our residents proudly welcome and embrace the influx of fans to the island each year and the need for good quality, alternative accommodation during this peak period is vital to meet visitor demand and to continue to attract new and repeat visitors to the event."