Scheme aims to boost Isle of Man midweek hospitality spending

Those using the gift cards will get 25% credit back when eating out midweek

An incentive to encourage people to eat out on weekdays has been relaunched on the Isle of Man.

LoveIOM Gift Cards, which were first introduced in 2021, will offer 25% credit back when used in hospitality venues from Monday to Thursday.

More than 60 restaurants, cafes and pubs have signed up to the scheme.

The relaunch of the initiative, which was due to be rolled out at the end of January, has been brought forward to Monday.

Enterprise Minister Lawrie Hooper said it aimed to boost spending during the "quiet" winter weekdays for the eateries.

'Money go further'

Under the scheme, diners have 25% of the money spent reimbursed on the gift cards by the government, up to a maximum of £50 per day, with the full cost of the meal paid to the hospitality business.

A spokesman for the Department for Enterprise said last winter's weekday incentive scheme had seen a doubling in daily spending on the days it operated.

That demonstrated "the value of such initiatives that target footfall and spend increase over quieter trading periods", he added.

Mr Hooper said: "This incentive is designed to reward spend during weekdays, the key time highlighted by industry as quiet, especially during the winter months.

"At the same time it is also hoped that it will help residents' money go further."

More than 1,000 of the gift cards had been bought during the run up to the Christmas period, he added.