Volunteers Lead Success At Visit Isle Of Wight Walking Festival

Visit Isle of Wight is thanking the local volunteer walk leaders for the success of this year’s Isle of Wight Walking Festivals which celebrated 25 years in 2024.

The events in spring and autumn saw over 200 walks, taking in hundreds of miles of the Isle of Wight’s coastline and countryside.

This year, the multi-award winning Isle of Wight Walking Festival celebrated 25 years of welcoming people to the Island to enjoy the natural environment of this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, take part in a themed walk learning about the history, geography, flora and fauna, or to meet with like-minded people and take in the beauty of the Island.

Visit Isle of Wight’s co-ordinator of the Walking Festival, Amy Summers, said:

"We are privileged to be in a position to shout about the Isle of Wight and encourage visitors to these shores,

"The passion that volunteer walk leaders show when leading visitors around their favourite part of the Isle of Wight is equally clear for all to see.

"The Isle of Wight Walking Festival continues to grow, offering more for visitors to do in the traditionally quieter ‘shoulder season’ months – something that Visit Isle of Wight has been working to develop.

"The work of the volunteer walk leaders and the team here at Visit Isle of Wight has led to this success, but of course the real star of the show is the Isle of Wight!"

More than 2,600 walkers took part in the 2024 Walking Festival, a leap of over 500 from 2023, with a huge increase in walkers from the mainland and overseas heading to the Isle of Wight, making up 71% of those taking part, with 60% staying 5 or more nights, generating an estimated economic impact of £1million for the Island’s economy and raising nearly £1000 for the walk leader’s charities.

Special anniversary walks included a walk from the Isle of Wight Ramblers to unveil a special Isle of Wight Walking Festival accessibility gate, opening up another section of the Island to those less mobile.’=

The RNLI continued their celebration of 200 years of the founding of the life-saving charity in 2024 with ‘Joey’s Walk’, recreating an epic trek undertaken in 1888 from Bembridge to Atherfield Ledge to help local crews save lives of a ship that had become wrecked there.

A popular series of themed walks to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the author Charles Dickens on the Island were also held.

Winning Gold in the Tourism South East Beautiful South Awards in 2023, this year’s Isle of Wight Walking Festival is once again shortlisted in regional competition, the results will be revealed in December.

Dates for the Isle of Wight Walking Festivals in 2025 have now been released.

The Spring Isle of Wight Walking Festival is 10-18 May and the Autumn Walking Festival takes place 04-12 October.

To lead a walk in the 2025 festivals, email Walking@vistwight.org