Identification, motivation and facilitation of domestic tourism in a small island

This paper presents a case concerning domestic tourism in the Isle of Man, British Isles, a small maritime nation with Norse heritage. Qualitative interviews find the existence of considerable domestic tourism activity conducted by island residents, including daytrips and overnight stays, and explore the motivational and facilitating factors which underpin this. Such behaviour is identified by residents as touristic and distinct from other leisure pursuits. Yet recognition of domestic tourism in small geographic spaces is currently almost entirely absent from the tourism studies literature. This article attempts to highlight the issue and draw attention to attendant benefits of domestic tourism which include economic and social impacts. These findings may be relevant to a small island community, and in the case of the Isle of Man, help to support an otherwise ailing tourism industry by highlighting the existence of a significant tourist niche and developing initial management recommendations regarding this.