The cancellation of the Manx Rally has resulted in an anticipated a lost of £750,000 of total visitor spend.
In Tynwald yesterday (July 23), the Department of Enterprise Minister, Tim Johnston MHK says that the cancellation of the Manx Rally is ‘disappointing’.
The rally organisers’ reported visitor numbers were estimated to account for approximately £750,000 of total visitor spend.
The Rally organisers indicated they expected similar outcomes for the proposed September event, which has been cancelled.
The Minister said, “whilst no assessment has been undertaken on the proposed September event, the Department did undertake a high level economic impact analysis of the May 2024 Manx National Rally”, which was when the visitor spend came to light.
Rally Cancellation
“When officers became aware of the likely rejection of the road closure application due to insufficient documentation, a meeting with the Rally organisers was organised with my Department political colleague Mrs Maltby MHK, who has delegated responsibility for Tourism and Motorsport, in late May 2024,” said the Minister.
He says that following this meeting, the Department made representations to the DoI to better understand their position and explore if there was opportunity for the Rally organisers to appeal and provide further information to support a successful outcome.
Johnston said: “In communications with the DoI, the Department noted that whilst it was seeking to listen to and support the Rally organisers, it was recognised that safety was a matter of critical importance, with a requirement for relevant safety-critical documentation and plans to be provided.
“The Department was clear with the proposed organisers that the relevant document much be completed to a sufficient standard, and to the deadlines agreed.”
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