Bid for stronger ties between Isle of Man and north west of England

Henri Murison said he was looking forward to developing a stronger relationship

Joint ventures to attract visitors could bring the Isle of Man and the north west of England closer together.

The Chamber of Commerce held an event with the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) to discuss new ways the two regions can work together.

NPP CEO Henri Murison said visitors "shouldn't be missing out on what the Isle of Man has to offer".

He said tourists to the island could integrate short stays in the north west to "mutual benefit", he added.

Mr Murison said they would be looking at "events that might cross the Irish Sea and bring visitors to both here and to parts of the north west or the wider north of England".

Morecambe and Lunesdale MP David Morris, who attended the event at the Comis Hotel, said he wanted to "create closer ties between Morecambe and the Isle of Man."

He said the island was "intrinsically linked" to Morecambe with the longstanding ferry link at Heysham.

David Morris said the Heysham Port should be a "gateway" to the Isle of Man

A northern Eden Project, based on the original attraction in Cornwall, is planned for Morecambe.

Mr Morris said that project could link Morecambe and the island through "our new green credentials that we're creating in the area".

Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce President Kristan McDonald said the island was "closer to the north than the north is to London" and "capitalising on that seems a very natural thing to do".

He said the Eden Project Morecambe would would be an asset for both areas.

Kristan McDonald (left) and Rebecca George said they wanted to create a "legacy" from the event

Chamber CEO Rebecca George said Friday's gathering of Manx businesses with representatives of the NPP was "just the beginning".

She said: "We wanted to work with Northern Powerhouse initially to think about how we can start really collaborating, forging those links."

It was "incredibly important" to "create a legacy" from the event, she added.