A THREE month review of Isle of Man Tourism has resulted in the number of staff being reduced by half.

Isle of Man Tourism, part of the Department of Economic Development, had a headcount of 30 when it was incorporated into the department last year.

Today the department announced a number of structural changes including the re-deployment of 15 staff.

The management of the tourism division will be streamlined and the director of tourism post, currently held by Rod Nipper, will be discontinued. He will be re-deployed within government.  

Assistant directors of tourism, Steve Dawson and Trevor Hussey, will report to the director of the business development agency, Tim Craine.

Eight members of staff from the Welcome Centre, the Island's main tourist information centre, and a number of staff in marketing have also been affected by the changes.

The Welcome Centre, and its staff, will be transferred to become the responsibility of the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure.

Those staff affected from the marketing team will be re-deployed to a new centralised marketing function for the Department of Economic Development which will be headed up by, head of marketing, Heather Smallwood.

Up until now there has been no direct marketing support for areas such as the aircraft, ship and companies registers, e-gaming and e-business. According to the department, the creation of this function will provide more flexibility and enable the department to respond more effectively to changing demands and priorities.

Other staff affected by the changes will be re-deployed to fill other vacancies in the department or elsewhere in government.

Economic Development Minister Allan Bell MHK said: "A year ago when the Department of Economic Development was first created, it was an amalgam of existing functions drawn together from the Departments of Trade and Industry, Treasury and Tourism and Leisure.

"Since that time, I have been keen to re-structure the department in order to ensure that it is fit for purpose and able to develop the economy to its full potential in a rapidly changing world with all the challenges that we are faced with."

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