[BBC News] Island tourism campaign launched

[Pontius]

In fairness, isn't this the principle behind the 'Andersons', 'Keirran', 'Keith' concept - i.e. different aspects of what the Island has to offer which may appeal to different audiences?

 

It seems the only idea they have ever had is to change the name of the Island - 'the Isle of Keith' 1). The concept is just completely daft and 2). It might be nice to hear a few Manx accents considering we are trying to show how local people live.

 

Use Manx accents? Arr right, arr right! Given that a lot of those 'across' seem to think our accent is Scouse, which is well up the list of most-disliked regional accents (after Brummie and West Country) we might be better sticking to a neutral accent - 'Don'cha know'

[Jimcalagon]

Use Manx accents? Arr right, arr right! Given that a lot of those 'across' seem to think our accent is Scouse,

 

I'm a 'scouser' - I went to Plymouth Polytechnic in the mid-80s and the first bloke I got chatting to when I went to register at the poly had a mild-to-moderate scouse accent. I asked him which part of Liverpool he was from, to which he replied "I'm from Douglas in the Isle of Man."

 

If it sounds like scouse to a scouser then what do you expect the rest of the UK (who think Harry Enfield's scouse accent sounds accurate) to think?

[hboy]

Use Manx accents? Arr right, arr right! Given that a lot of those 'across' seem to think our accent is Scouse,

 

I'm a 'scouser' - I went to Plymouth Polytechnic in the mid-80s and the first bloke I got chatting to when I went to register at the poly had a mild-to-moderate scouse accent. I asked him which part of Liverpool he was from, to which he replied "I'm from Douglas in the Isle of Man."

 

If it sounds like scouse to a scouser then what do you expect the rest of the UK (who think Harry Enfield's scouse accent sounds accurate) to think?

 

That was the mid 80s though - every manx knobber worth his salt pretended to have a scouse accent back then. I went to school with loads of kids who thought it was cool to talk with a false scouse accent!

[Langweilig]

I hope this isn't a waste of money. Last summer I went into a well-known travel agent (the names of which rhymes with books).

 

"Hello, I'd like to book a return journey on the IOMSP as a foot passenger to Douglas."

 

"Douglas? Where's that?"

 

Honestly, I do despair.

 

I don't think that Manx people have a Scouse accent, it's more a mix of Yorkshire and Lancashire accents. I first visited the island in 2005 after many years and I honestly expected the accent to be "Oooh arrrr, we dun't loike yur zort roun' these paaarts." Only because I visited Ned Beg's place at Cregneash.

 

You really don't need to spend that amount of money to attract me to Ellan Vannin, I love the place and I would go back any time.

[Hermes]

Pool championships, darts, crap guest houses etc is a waste of time and makes us look worse than Hull.

[Hermes]

The real Manx accent is more like a Western Isles of Scotland Gaelic accent through the tongue of a coastal Lancastrian or Cheshire person. Any 'Scouse' accent is just that - 'Scouse' by immigrant Scousers, or those Manx people who aspire to values from Liverpool rather than their own.

 

What British people (tourists and some settlers) really like about the Island is that they can still find here what Sick Britain has sold out and lost. It is our duty to defend that at all costs.

Our Administration is now mostly as weak and corrupted to the interests of Business as any other in the British Isles (if not more) and this is a real threat to our identity. Many of our people seem increasingly attracted to the bankrupt values of British consumerism - so often lazy, weak, selfish and lacking independance of mind and spirit: Our grandparents' generation must be ashamed about so much of what they they see in us. The gulf between the good and the bad, the worthy and unworthy is getting worse.

 

We need public campaigns that promote our positive values within our own society, and then we can go and sell those to the wider world in our advertising campaigns.

[Utah 01]

Until such time as the costs of getting to the Island, by sea or air, are brought down they are hissing into the prevalent westerly wind. There are far too many options au continent for potential trippers to visit than the Island and at far less cost. The first travel cost loading to reduce is the IOM airport tax element on air fares.

[bluemonday]

I only caught part of the ad with the guy climbing on ITV just before 7 last night so can't properly comment.

However from what I saw, it was far more engaging than that 60/70s retro crap they come up with last time.

[Mutley]

Why run the adverts in Autumn? Trying to attract the Winter tourists? Surely they should be run in the Spring.

[bluemonday]

I'd assume its to develop interest before people have booked their next year holidays. By spring most have already decided and booked.

[Albert Tatlock]

Traditionally, most of next years holidays get advertised from now to the run up to new year (along with 2009 xmas hampers).

[Mutley]

I'd assume its to develop interest before people have booked their next year holidays. By spring most have already decided and booked.

 

In the current financial climate I wonder will people book so far in advance this year? What with airlines and travel companies going bust and the uncertainty over jobs I reckon a lot more people will wait until closer to the time.

[Utah 01]

'I reckon a lot more people will wait until closer to the time.' - and the longer you leave it the higher the fares = no come.

[Langweilig]

My fare as a foot passenger with the IOMSPC was £49 return. Out of that was £10 of a fuel surcharge.

[manshimajin]

 

I think that this may explain my earlier comments about advertising from a 'visitors' perspective - so that they want to come here because they 'associate' with the place. In my role as Tourism Australia's Manx promoter may I present:

 

Billabong and Boab

 

Go down the page and click on Billabong Film and Boab Film.

 

Tourism Australia is one of the most professional tourism marketing outfits. They base their campaigns on careful research. These ads are clearly targeted to make 'potential' visitors buy-in to the idea of going around the world to Oz (or down from HK) whilst getting in the cultural values thing too.

 

I know that our own Tourism authority don't have big budgets but when I look at the new ads I think they are nice but where is the 'visitor' - I suspect because they are trying to sell moving here as much as visiting.