Nearly 50 walks are to be held as part of a new weekend walking festival to be staged by the Isle of Wight Council in October.

The new event is being held to celebrate the ten years of the main festival but could also become a separate event in its own right if a success. Already the signs are encouraging with much interest already being received and a guest speaker, the  celebrated mountaineer Alan Hinkes, also lined up to appear during the weekend.

The event between 24th-27th October, will build on the success of this year’s main IW Walking Festival, also organised by the IW Council, that attracted a record number of walkers – around 24,500 - in May.

Hopes for the event are high because of the success of this year’s main walking event. Final figures show that among the record-breaking numbers who took part – several thousand more than in 2007 - were around 7,000 visitors not just from the UK but from abroad as well.
The event was further boosted by the appearance of Alan Titchmarsh in one of his first ceremonial roles as Island high sheriff and by a sell-out evening with TV personality Ben Fogle at Medina Theatre.

There were 270 walks to suit all tastes and abilities including the Walk the Wight event organised by the IW Hospice.

Many of the walkers who took part have indicated they will return for the October celebratory weekend while there was also much interest expressed by visitors to the recent events marketing exhibition at the Birmingham NEC.

Elaine Cesar, IW Council events officer, said:

“The walking festival has come a very long way in the ten years we have been holding it. It has grown from a festival with just 39 walks to what is now the biggest event of its type in the UK.

“It has become a tremendous means of attracting new visitors and has also brought us plenty of national publicity which is fantastic for the Island.”

Cllr George Brown, IW Council cabinet member with responsibility for tourism and events, said the October weekend was a welcome addition to an already busy events programme.

He said the May festival had provided an unprecedented walking boost to the Island with 60 percent of visitors staying between five and 14 nights.

Looking forward to the forthcoming event, he said:

“It is particularly pleasing that the October celebration weekend will bring visitors to the Island outside the traditional holiday season.

“It is important that we seek to promote the Island as a year-round destination and great events such as the weekend walking festival help us to do that.”

Among attractions for the weekend will be an evening at Medina Theatre with mountaineer Alan Hinkes on Sunday Oct 26th. Alan is part of an exclusive club of only 12 people alive who has reached the summit of all the world’s highest mountains. Walks will include a pink-themed charity walk for breast cancer awareness.