Jacqui Keenan explains how eco-tourism and Biosphere tourism help protect the island while supporting local businesses and culture.

It’s important to remember that tourism isn’t just about attracting visitors to the island; it’s also about our existing community enjoying everything our ‘Extraordinary Isle’ has to offer and giving us a good quality of life – whether that’s just making the most of our spare time or taking a staycation.

Eco-tourism doesn’t mean roughing it (though you can if you want to!), there are lots of potential homes-from-home who also offer great advice on things to see and do. From the farm stay and glamping experience at Knockaloe Beg Farm, to the warm welcome at Edelweiss, to the garden spa at Hillingford B&B, to the 4-star experience at the Comis; as Biosphere partners, all carefully consider their sustainability and impact.

Of course, the island is an ideal place to reconnect with the rest of nature - it has so much to offer, and not just when the sun is shining. The Manx BirdLife Point of Ayre National Reserve is open Wednesday and Sunday year-round, and the Isle of Man Blue Badge tour guides offer wildlife experiences and much more. Whether on a guided walk, wildlife watching, kayaking, coasteering, snorkelling, or diving, there is a low-impact way to explore the island for everyone.

Eco-tourism and Biosphere tourism do go hand-in-hand, but ‘Biosphere tourism’ is about sustainability more broadly; it certainly includes considering the environment – treading lightly and spending time in nature - but it’s about much more than that.

On the Isle of Man, Biosphere tourism is about celebrating our wonderful culture and unique heritage; enjoying Manx food, drink, and produce; making the most of the amazing offerings from local businesses; encouraging people to connect with and understand the local community. With a growing appreciation of everything which makes our ‘Extraordinary Isle’ so special comes a growing interest in looking after it; that’s ultimately what Biosphere values are all about.

Of course, Biosphere tourism is an ethos we islanders can take with us when we visit other places too, whether they’re Biosphere reserves or not!

There are already so many brilliant businesses on the island living and breathing the Biosphere values – including more than 380 Biosphere partners; we love seeing how they connect with and support each other. Often, it’s our smaller local enterprises who lead the way on sustainability and promoting other local businesses; it would be fantastic to see some of the larger organisations sharing the great things they’re doing too.

We’re really looking forward to seeing the first Manx Wildlife Trust Experience run next year, and to see what leads on from it. Visit Isle of Man is doing brilliant work on what the island offers throughout the year, weaving Biosphere values throughout, and we can’t wait to see how that develops.

Encouraging mindful Biosphere tourism benefits our economy, our community, and our wider Biosphere.

It promotes Manx businesses and produce, putting money back into the island. Urging people to spend locally and sustainably encourages businesses to think about sustainability too, embracing Biosphere values to attract Biosphere tourism. Supporting tourism which celebrates our spectacular culture, heritage, and environment creates more incentive to nurture those aspects of our island, protecting them for residents and tourists alike.