A company that has been bringing children on holiday to the isle of Wight for more than 30 years may soon have to reconsider it’s options – unless a new place to stay is found.

Activity Island, based in the West Midlands, specialises in bringing school groups from around the country for a get away to the UK’s number 1 holiday Island.

However, Kevin Hughes, Managing Director and CEO at Activity Island says that the recent sale of a hotel they have used for many years could mean cancelled bookings for next year.

Activity Island is now looking for a new accommodation venue to work with over the coming years.

‘We take bookings as early as January and February for the following year, and these are schools that come back to us year after year after year. We’re always looking a year and half to two years in advance.

These are definite bookings, these aren’t people who are going to turn around and say ‘we’re not coming now’. Deposits have been paid and these are firm, definite bookings.’

Kevin Hughes, Activity Island

While on the Island, the children – who are predominantly at the Key Stage 2 age – visit popular attractions such as Osborne, Carisbrooke Castle, Blackgang Chine and Robin Hill, as well as enjoying fun activities such as water sports, bringing a financial benefit to the local economy.

Kevin says that coming to the Isle of Wight is a very special opportunity for the children:

‘We get a lot of schools from the London area and they probably haven’t seen the sea, or seen it very often, so for them it’s a real adventure. We get so many letters telling us how good it was and how much the children enjoyed it.’

Kevin Hughes, Activity Island

Kevin adds that hotels often prefer having a school group:

‘There’s often 4 to 6 or even 8 kids per room, hotels put bunk beds up, the schools decide who goes where, they’ve got set meal times, the hoteliers know what time they’re coming back – they’ve got the itinerary and they work around it.

‘The hotels we deal with love it. Before the summer starts, May, June, early July, a lot of them say they would much rather have school groups because they know it is a steady source of income.’

Kevin Hughes, Activity Island

Will Myles, MD at Visit Isle of Wight said:

‘It’s great that a company such as Activity Island sees the benefit of bringing school children to the Isle of Wight. It’s a fantastic place to visit and I hope that hotel businesses on the Island get in touch with Activity Island, which could mean a steady income for them year after year.’

Will Myles, Visit Isle of Wight

What’s needed and how much is paid?

Activity Island require sole-occupancy of hotels, with breakfast, packed lunch and evening meals.  All of our groups will arrive at their hotel on a Monday afternoon, and leave on a Friday morning, so they are all four-night stays, which is the norm for all of these residential visits.

The standard rate for 2020, which is paid to all of hoteliers, is £34 per-person-per-night, with the coach driver accommodated free-of-charge.  For that, sole-use occupancy of the hotel [normally in bunk-bedded multi-occupancy rooms], together with breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals.  All of the groups will arrive at their hotel on a Monday afternoon, and leave on a Friday morning, so they are all four-night stays, which is the norm for these residential visits.

If you are a hotel business looking for trade in 2020 and beyond, contact Kevin Hughes at Activity Island on 01827 331100 or email activityisland@supanet.com