HOMESTAY HAS RE-LAUNCHED FOR TT 2024 WITH A NEW OPERATOR

Visit Isle of Man , the tourism arm of the Isle of Man Government , has today announced that the Isle of Man Homestay Scheme is back open for TT 2024. Following a tender process, new company, Homestay IOM Limited, a sister company of Island Escapes , will be operating the scheme moving forwards.

The Homestay Scheme plays an important role in the hosting of the Isle of Man TT Races , to accommodate not only fans that visit the event, but also riders, teams, sponsors and other race officials such as marshals that don’t reside on the Island outside of the event.

The Homestay Scheme allows locals to list their spare rooms or entire properties to rent out for the duration of the Isle of Man TT Races and is a popular accommodation choice of TT fans new and old. By staying with a local, the fans get a more authentic experience with deeper knowledge of the unique cultural event through the eyes of someone who lives in the Island year round.

Currently, the scheme is open just to locals wishing to register their homes, with the website for guest bookings due to go live again in February.

Deborah Heather , CEO of Visit Isle of Man, said:

‘We’re anticipating 2024 to be a thriving year for homestay registrations. Islanders registering for the Homestay Scheme and opening their homes to visitors are not only contributing to meeting the demand for accommodation during these busy periods, but are also creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere that helps make the TT Races and Manx Grand Prix truly unique experiences.’

Visitors can expect more from their Homestay experience including a brand new high quality website coming in February, real time live availability, online booking for a number of properties, reviews, and the option to sign up to a newsletter to learn about new properties and late availability as they become known.

John Keggin and Jamie Stott, Directors of Homestay IOM Limited, said:

‘We plan to launch a new website and online booking platform for the scheme, showing the breadth of Government-registered properties available to book for the TT Races and Manx Grand Prix. With the introduction of these new facilities, we hope to make the scheme more accessible and interactive for both hosts and visitors by offering a quicker and easier booking process, enhancing the overall visitor experience.’

The TT has ambitious growth targets in terms of visitor numbers and the widening of the Homestay Scheme, including the user experience improvements, will help towards accommodating people arriving on the Island. Not only that, but the Homestay Scheme is a very popular choice amongst Isle of Man TT Marshals and other race officials that come from off-Island, so streamlining the booking process supports the longevity of their crucial role in the safety of the event.

Guests wanting to use the Homestay Scheme for visiting TT 2024 and beyond will be able to book via the website from 1st February 2024 and any locals that want to host can learn more here: www.homestay.im