Editing Isle of Wight (section)

===Services===

====Tourism and heritage====
{{See also|List of tourist attractions in the Isle of Wight}}
The island's heritage is a major asset that has for many years supported its tourist economy. Holidays focused on natural heritage, including wildlife and geology, are becoming an alternative to the traditional British [[seaside resort|seaside]] holiday, which went into decline in the second half of the 20th century due to the increased affordability of foreign holidays.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.redfunnel.co.uk/en/isle-of-wight-guide/blog/xa-potted-history-of-isle-of-wight-holidays/ | title=A Potted History of Isle of Wight Holidays | date=2014 | publisher=redfunnel.co.uk | access-date=29 November 2016}}</ref> The island is still an important destination for coach tours from other parts of the United Kingdom.
[[File:Isle of Wight.jpg|thumb|left|[[Compton Chine]], looking east towards [[Blackgang Chine|Blackgang]]]]

Tourism is still the largest industry, and most island towns and villages offer hotels, hostels and camping sites. In 1999, it hosted 2.7 million visitors, with 1.5 million staying overnight, and 1.2 million day visits; only 150,000 of these were from abroad. Between 1993 and 2000, visits increased at an average rate of 3% per year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.investwight.com/useful-info.asp#population |title=A website with Isle of Wight statistics for investors |publisher=Investwight.com |access-date=25 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327010157/http://www.investwight.com/useful-info.asp |archive-date=27 March 2009 }}</ref>

At the turn of the 19th century the island had ten [[pleasure pier]]s, including two at [[Ryde Pier|Ryde]] and a "chain pier" at [[Seaview, Isle of Wight|Seaview]]. The Victoria Pier in Cowes succeeded the earlier Royal Pier but was itself removed in 1960. The piers at Ryde, Seaview, [[Sandown]], [[Shanklin]] and [[Ventnor]] originally served a coastal steamer service that operated from Southsea on the mainland. The piers at Seaview, Shanklin, Ventnor and [[Alum Bay]] were all destroyed by various storms during the 20th century; only the railway pier at Ryde and the piers at Sandown, [[Totland]] Bay (currently closed to the public) and Yarmouth survive.

[[Blackgang Chine]] is the oldest theme park in Britain, opened in 1843.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/21/the-worlds-oldest-amusement-parks_n_1891670.html?slideshow=true#gallery/251187/8 | work=Huffington Post | title=The World's Oldest Amusement Parks | access-date=28 November 2016| date=21 September 2012 }}</ref>  The skeleton of a dead whale that its founder Alexander Dabell found in 1844 is still on display.<ref name="auto">{{cite web | url=https://vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=85074 | title=Default What happened to the National Wireless Museum? | access-date=19 June 2018}}</ref>

As well as its more traditional attractions, the island is often host to walking<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wight-walks.co.uk |title=Isle of Wight walking holidays |publisher=Wight Walks |access-date=25 September 2010}}</ref> or cycling holidays through the attractive scenery. An [[Isle of Wight Walking Festival|annual walking festival]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk/ |title=Welcome to the official website of the Isle of Wight Walking Festival 2013 |publisher=Isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk |access-date=26 March 2013}}</ref> has attracted considerable interest. The {{convert|70|mi|0|abbr=out}} [[Isle of Wight Coastal Path]] follows the coastline as far as possible, deviating onto roads where the route along the coast is impassable.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Isle+of+Wight+Coast+Path | access-date=29 November 2016 | publisher=Long Distance Walkers Association | title=Isle of Wight Coastal Path}}</ref>

The tourist board for the island is Visit Isle of Wight, a [[non-profit company]]. It is the Destination Management Organisation for the Isle of Wight, a public and private sector partnership led by the private sector, and consists of over 1,200 companies, including the ferry operators, the local bus company, rail operator and tourism providers working together to collectively promote the island. Its income is derived from the Wight BID, a [[business improvement district]] levy fund.

A major contributor to the local economy is sailing and marine-related tourism.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.iwight.com/council/committees/cabinet/28-9-05/finaltourismdevelopmentplan.pdf | date=2005 | publisher=Isle of Wight Council | title=Draft Tourism Development Plan | access-date=28 November 2016 | archive-date=6 February 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060206130222/http://www.iwight.com/council/committees/cabinet/28-9-05/finaltourismdevelopmentplan.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Summer Camp]] at Camp Beaumont is an attraction at the old [[Bembridge School]] site.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://camps.kingswood.co.uk/camp/whyHere/isle-of-wight | access-date=28 November 2016 | publisher=Kingswood Camps | title=Coastal Adventure: Isle of Wight | archive-date=29 November 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129144032/http://camps.kingswood.co.uk/camp/whyHere/isle-of-wight | url-status=dead }}</ref>

====Media====
The main local newspaper purchased is the ''[[Isle of Wight County Press]]''.  Its circulation has declined over the years, estimated at 11,575 in 2024, especially after it was taken over by [[Newsquest]] in July 2017. In 2018 a new free newspaper was launched, the ''[[Isle of Wight Observer]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Isle of Wight County Press [Circulation#93; |url=https://www.abc.org.uk/product/2663-isle-of-wight-county-press |publisher=ABC ([[Audit Bureau of Circulations (UK)]]) |access-date=11 April 2024}}</ref>

On-line news websites include ''Island Echo'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.islandecho.co.uk/ |title=Island Echo |website=Island Echo |access-date=22 July 2015}}</ref> launched in May 2012, and ''On the Wight''.<ref>{{cite web|title=On the Wight|url=http://onthewight.com/|access-date=7 October 2012|website=On the Wight}}</ref>

The island has a local commercial radio station and a [[community radio]] station: commercial station [[Isle of Wight Radio]] has broadcast in the [[medium-wave]] band since 1990 and on 107.0&nbsp;MHz (with three smaller transmitters on 102.0&nbsp;MHz) [[FM broadcasting|FM]] since 1998, as well as [[Internet radio|streaming]] on the Internet.<ref>{{cite web| access-date=28 November 2016 | url=http://www.internetradiouk.com/mobile/isle-newport/ | publisher=internetradiouk.com |title=Isle of Wight Radio 107.0 Newport}}</ref> Community station [[Vectis Radio]] has broadcast online since 2010, and in 2017 started broadcasting on FM 104.6. The station operates from the Riverside Centre in Newport.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vectisradio.com/|title=Vectis Radio|website=www.vectisradio.com}}</ref> The island is also covered by a number of local stations on the mainland, including the BBC station [[BBC Radio Solent]] broadcast from [[Southampton]]. The island's not-for-profit community radio station Angel Radio opened in 2007. Angel Radio began broadcasting on 91.5&nbsp;MHz from studios in Cowes and a transmitter near Newport.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://angelradioisleofwight.moonfruit.com/ |title="History of Our Station" and "Gallery" |access-date=28 October 2007 |work=Angel Radio Isle of Wight Website |archive-date=4 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904015624/http://www.angelradioisleofwight.moonfruit.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://angelradioisleofwight.com/record-library/4521473818 |title=The Record Library |access-date=20 August 2016 |work=Angel Radio Isle of Wight Website |archive-date=23 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160723095914/http://angelradioisleofwight.com/record-library/4521473818 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Important broadcasting infrastructure includes [[Chillerton Down transmitting station]] with a mast that is the tallest structure on the island, and [[Rowridge transmitting station]], which broadcasts the main television signal both locally and for most of [[Hampshire]] and parts of [[Dorset]] and [[West Sussex]].<ref>{{cite web | title=The Big Tower: Chillerton Down | url=http://www.thebigtower.com/live/ChillertonDown/Index.htm | access-date=28 November 2016 | publisher=thebigtower.com}}</ref>