Isle of Wight Blog : Isleofwight.com

Please don’t reply to these sorts of emails

Isleofwight.com — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:42:19 +0000

I just thought I would tell you all not to reply to any emails similar to the one below. They are a way of checking that your email address is live and once you respond you will be inundated with spam.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010, 2:47 pm [EST]
Attention: General Support
Message: We noticed that you are not at the top of the search engines for a number of your key terms. We have helped companies similar to yours to achieve top organic rankings. Please reply to this message and we will prepare a special proposal for you, to show you how we can achieve similar results for you.

Win Isle of Wight Festival Tickets with The Independent

Isleofwight.com — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:08:20 +0000

The Independent have managed to get their hands on tickets to this year’s legendary Isle of Wight Festival. They are giving one lucky Music Magazine reader the chance to win a pair of tickets to one of THE hottest festivals of the summer.

Kicking off the festival season in true Isle of Wight style from 11th – 13th June, the weekend is set to sizzle with an amazing line up of world class acts including Paul McCartney, Jay-Z, The Strokes, Florence + the Machine, Blondie, Pink, Biffy Clyro, Marina and the Diamonds, La Roux, Orbital, James, Calvin Harris, Editors, Vampire Weekend, The Saturdays, Daisy Dares You and many more.

Now in the ninth year since its reincarnation, the Isle of Wight Festival is steeped in musical heritage and magical memories. The Festival is renowned for bringing in the biggest names as well as showcasing new and upcoming talent and this year will be no exception.

Click the following link http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/music-magazine/festivals-2010/win-tickets-to-the-isle-of-wight-festival-1975255.html

Isle of Wight Beaches Win Awards Again

Isleofwight.com — Thu, 13 May 2010 10:45:32 +0000

THE Island has maintained its name for top quality beaches.

The Isle of Wight tied with Torbay in winning the most quality awards in the country and Shanklin has this year been added to Ventnor and Sandown on the list of beaches with coveted Blue Flag status.

Gurnard, Seagrove Bay, Springvale, Totland, Yaverland, East Cowes, Cowes, Colwell, Ventnor, Shanklin and Sandown have received Quality Coast Awards (QCAs).

The criteria beaches must meet to win the award includes good access, facilities, including lifeguard provision, being litter free and having clean bathing water.

Fantastic news for a great summer on the Isle of Wight

Web Traffic 20.6 % up on January last year

Isleofwight.com — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:44:12 +0000

I am delighted to advise you all that the visitors viewing isleofwight.com is 20.6% up on January 2009. Hopefully this bodes well for tourism on the Island in 2010.

Whilst I was very critical of the data and information delivered to the press by the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce and the Isle of Wight Council, which in one instance claimed tourism was up 400%, the figures I have quoted are a direct comparison on the same period in 2009.

Many businesses are reporting an upturn in bookings, although this mainly seems to apply to Self Catering Accommodation and Camping and Touring sites. However, from past experience, website users research holidays for the coming year, booking in the majority around March – July. Fingers crossed it will be a better season.

EXCITING NEWS – Vectis Radio

Isleofwight.com — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:18:16 +0000

We have some great news for the Island. As of today Vectis Radio is on air on the Internet. This brand new station is bringing back the Isle of Wight phone-in between 12 and 1pm weekdays.

The driving force behind the new station is well know IW radio DJ Ian Mac who will be on air from 8am in the morning until 1pm followed by another Island DJ Martyn Bull.

You can listen by either logging on to isleofwight.com and selecting the “Listen Here” button or by going to vectisradio.com and doing the same.

isleofwight.com would like to congratulate Ian & Steve Ray for their hard work in bringing this new community radio station to fruition.

2010 Accommodation Guide now available

Isleofwight.com — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:59:24 +0000

I thought I would let you know that the new visitisleofwight.com guide has now been printed and is ready for requests. Please email your details to http://www.isleofwight.com/brochure.html and complete the request for and one will be dispatched to you straight away.

I would personally like to thank Pepper Creative who are based on the Island for producing what I consider to be the best guide available for the Isle of Wight. Well done.

Offices closed 12th – 16th November

Isleofwight.com — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:43:13 +0000

I am writing to advise you that from 12pm on Thursday 12^th November through to 5pm on Monday 16^th November isleofwight.com will be reorganising the office and phone systems. As a result the office phone lines will be down during this period, although emails will be answered. If you have any urgent issues during this time please contact me on 07834101730.

Thank you for patience in this matter.

Kind regards,

Kevin Daniells

Managing Director

Isleofwight.com

SCAM WARNING

Isleofwight.com — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:58:38 +0000

PLEASE DELETE ANY OF THESE EMAILS. THEY ARE SCAMS. I HAVE HAD 7 THROUGH THIS MORNING ALONE.

Greetings,
How are you today?
I want to make a reservation in your facility for 2 couples from Russia, on there forth-coming honeymoon.
Date :20th to 30th January, 2010.
There are 2 couples.
1. Kindly get back to me with your total cost for 2 couples for the duration of 10 nights stay.
2. So that i can send you my credit card for immediate deposit.
Arrival Date: January 20th
Departure Date: January 30th
Number Of People: 4
Number Of Room :2

Kindest Regards
TOM WEST
tomwest007@gmail.com

The Council and Chamber of Commerce are GROSSLY out of touch with the state of the Tourism Industry on the Isle of Wight.

Isleofwight.com — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:46:20 +0000

Following the Press Release from the Council and the article that appeared in the County Press of last week (2nd October), I am writing to express my utter disgust about the blatant use of “Spin” used by the Chamber of Commerce, Council and Tourist Board of the Isle of Wight. The point of making such wild claims is beyond both myself and many of the Tourism and Accommodation providers on the Island. It also does nothing to attract the need for additional funding to promote our beautiful Island.
The claim that I am referring to is “Isle of Wight Sees Huge Increase in Hotel Bookings” (press release from the Council on which your article is based)is both irresponsible and VERY misleading. Laterooms.com are 407% up on last year. This point is true. However, on speaking to laterooms, it has been confirmed to me that this equated to just 666 bookings for the year Aug 08 through to Aug 09. The reason for the 407% increase was because the year before they only managed 164 bookings. To then read that concerning the “Just Add Water” campaign for the Island, Councilor George Browne sees this as “further evidence the campaign has proved to be a big success” is quite simply a joke and an insult to the hard working businesses within the tourism industry that are constantly battling against rising prices and a distinct lack of support from both the Isle of Wight Council and The Chamber of Commerce.
David Grocock is no better, claiming that Tourism is up 30% on the Island. I am not surprised for him; his Guest Accommodation – The St Maur, has been placed as the first one to be seen for the Ventnor area on the GoWight.co.uk website run by the Chamber of Commerce, of which Mr. Grocock is a member of the board. Bizarrely, this is also the case for the Islandbreaks.co.uk website which is run by the Council it might be a coincidence or it might be a case of feathering ones nest. In my opinion it is a blatant case of the latter.
Mr. Grocock continues to announce that Tourism on the Island is up over 30% on last year, but this is hardly surprising in the case of The St Maur, which he owns. He is contributing to a BBC News Online Business Tracker Survey, which monitors the success/failings of his business in the current financial crisis. Rather than the web link going straight to an Island Tourism Website, it goes to Mr. Grocock’s establishment. Great for the St Maur in Ventnor and a contributing factor, I am sure to its’ “increased” level of business, but absolutely no help at all to the Tourism Businesses that he is alleged to represent on the Isle of Wight in his position with the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce.
The Collaboration between the Council and the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce Tourism and Industry is quite frankly a joke. This “Partnership” between the Isle of Wight Council and the Chamber of Commerce, was formed without the Council undergoing any procurement exercise, something Councilor George Browne labored continually when he was in charge of the Committee looking at making the delivery of tourism promotion for the Island more successful. They have done nothing to progress the promotion of the Island and this issue needs to be resolved urgently. To issue statements such as the ones mentioned only go to prove just how out of touch the Isle of Wight Council and The Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce are with the Tourism Industry on the Isle of Wight.
When my business isleofwight.com and other companies and individuals were asked to offer presentations to this committee, procurement was the “buzz” word constantly used, so why is it that the Council can move forward without actually looking for the best and most efficient options to do just that. In my opinion it is that they are extremely worried that working with private enterprise would actually show up the short comings and failings of a totally inefficient Local Authority that believes the Tourism Industry should fund its’ own advertising and not drain the resources of the Council.
When are we going to get sympathetic support rather than pathetic actions from the bodies that claim to have the Island’s interests at heart? The joint effort put forward by the Council and The Chamber of Commerce would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious. They are failing the Tourism Industry and the Island’s economy as a whole, rather than highlighting the extra support we need from Central Government as an unemployment black spot.
When are we going to get a Council that truly acknowledges the serious input that Tourism contributes to the economy of the Isle of Wight. It needs to be resolved sooner rather than later.

I just had to share this Blog Post that was sent through to me.

Isleofwight.com — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:18:56 +0000

I Left My Heart in Cowes
23 September 2009

I was on the Isle of Wight last week. It was bloody brilliant. The isle, for many, is like a time capsule, a pickled curio of how we used to live, back in the 50’s or something. Well, I guess that’s how the Tourist Board promote it. I disagree. I do tend to, usually.

I think it’s an experiment in how we should be living in the future. And if so, I can’t wait to get there.

I went for Bestival, but I came away loving that whole island life thing. Self-contained, self-sufficient, self-assured but not, at least not on my watch, selfish.

Cowes is a typical example of the sort of town we’ll all be living in, in the future. It’s so future I was half expecting to see Judith Han demonstrating how a Walkman works from a lectern in the town hall.

There’s a restaurant, along Cowes twisting, cobbled Main Street, called DB’s (it’s excellent, by the way) which is run, successfully, by a husband and wife team. They don’t own a car. They walk to the local shops to get their groceries, and to the wharf for their fish. And don’t look for it on the internet. They don’t have a website. And, even on a Monday night – with no 2-for-1 coupon promotion cut out from the Gazette – it was full.

The stores along the pedestrianised core don’t open from 9am to 9pm – they casually raise their shutters at 10 and, well, when the crowds die down, they’ll call it a day. And they have fascias picked out in gold lettering, not pre-moulded plastic. Each store as unique and tempting as the last. Virtually no chains. No Tesco. No Boots. No WH Smiths. Instead, an independent pharmacist or two, lots of stationers, and family-run greengrocers. OK, there’s a Co-op, but if you’re going to have a supermarket, that’s the one to have.
Liz Earle, Ryde

Liz Earle, Ryde

And Cowes is a financially secure, working, vibrant town. It’s not a museum piece. Same too with neighbouring Ryde, where boutiques, bookshops ironmongers are squeezed into the shopfronts of Union Street. And where too the wonderful Liz Earle (the UK’s most successful independent beauty brand) has her HQ. The Isle of Wight, says Ms Earle, is the perfect place to set up a small business, because, she says, people support them, and will them to succeed.

http://web.skrift.co.uk/2009/09/23/i-left-my-heart-in-cowes/