A number of leading travel bodies have joined forces with King William’s College to encourage more sports teams to visit and book tours to the Isle of Man. Led by Mann Link Travel, the school has produced a glossy brochure showcasing its exceptional facilities and why the Island is the perfect location for a sports tour.
Called ‘Sports Tours made easy’, the brochure covers the excellent facilities at King William’s College and the vast range of extra-curricular activities the Island has to offer, the types of sport that can be played and the ease with which a sports tour can be booked. One thousand five hundred copies will be distributed to independent school in the British Isles and Southern Ireland, in addition to selected sports clubs and teams.
The brochure is also being supported by the Isle of Man Department of Economic Development, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company and Flybe. Mann Link Travel will work with King William’s College to manage the travel requirements for inbound sports teams and other visiting groups.
King William’s College benefits from on-site accommodation in three different units from just ?15 per person per night which also includes three cooked meals daily. This significantly reduces the cost of a sports tour for groups. In addition, its facilities include a swimming pool, Astroturf, cricket nets, gym, netball courts and football and rugby pitches.
The partners supporting this brochure all believe there is the potential to significantly increase the number of visiting schools and teams coming to the Isle of Man and King William’s College, holding residential training camps as well as sports tours. Mann Link Travel’s involvement significantly simplifies the organisational headache for busy team managers and PE teachers who can simply hand their requirements to the company and be given an itinerary and travel tickets in return.
Mann Link Travel’s parent company, Online Regional Travel Group, is the largest online and offline travel group operating in the British Isles. The company employs more than 60 staff across its bases in the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey, and has roots dating back more than 250 years. Chief Executive, Brian Kelly, commented: “The Isle of Man is one of the safest places in the British Isles which is very appealing to school teachers looking for somewhere to take their pupils on tour. Coupled with the fact the Island is just a short flight or ferry ride from the surrounding British Isles and Ireland, is a very cost effective option in the current economic climate and has such excellent facilities both on and off the sports pitch, makes it a very attractive destination.”
Bernadette Dunn, Director of Sport at King William’s College, believes said: “From personal experience, organising a sports tour is very time consuming and so the fact that Mann Link Travel has significantly simplified the booking procedure will really help to attract teams to the Isle of Man. College has such wonderful on-site facilities and can cater for boys, girls and mixed tours in a variety of sports for pupils aged between 10 and 18, and I really believe this brochure will help to sell that to other schools and teams across the British Isles.”
Angela Byrne, Head of Tourism for the Department of Economic Development, said: “The Isle of Man is an attractive location for any school or sports team considering a short tour or a residential sports camp so this new initiative is to be encouraged.”
Renee Caley, Marketing and Online Manager at the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, commented: “Any initiative which showcases what the Island has to offer and encourages groups and teams to book a trip should be applauded, and the ‘Sports Tours made easy’ brochure certainly does that. The Island is easily accessible from the British Isles and Southern Ireland and I would encourage schools and teams to book their tour to the Island rather than go elsewhere.”
Flybe’s Director of Sales, Stephen Hobday, says the airline has seven routes with a choice of up to 202 flights a week to and from the Isle of Man, and that it looks forward to welcoming teams on board: “We have long been associated with encouraging young sportspeople to pursue their dreams wherever possible, and the Isle of Man is undoubtedly a destination that has much to offer in this area.”
For more information about visiting the Island, go to www.visitisleofman.com.
Photo - (front, l-r) Bernadette Dunn, Director of Sport at King William’s College, and Brian Kelly, CEO of Mann Link Travel, hold copies of the new brochure surrounded by some of the school’s sports team representatives.
