ONE of the island’s wealthiest men has indicated he would be happy to help the government generate more tourism.
Leisure tycoon John Morphet, who lives at Bishopscourt, revealed he was approached by government officials to discuss tourism issues and offered advice.
Mr Morphet said he firmly believes the island should be doing more to increase tourism.
But the 57-year-old who has made his name with leisure and holiday parks said: ‘I’m very open-minded.
‘I’ve had preliminary talks regarding the possibility of bringing more tourism to the island. It is early days and I’m not ruling anything out. I believe there are lots of opportunities here.
‘There is definitely potential to develop tourism here and it will help to generate revenue for the island’
He spoke of how he has helped in the promotion of a concept called ‘camping pods’ which he believes would ‘fit in’ with the island and would be popular with visitors looking to enjoy the delights the Isle of Man has to offer.
The pod is a double glazed timber structure, 12 ft by 8ft which can be easily transported. ‘You can pick them up with a forklift truck and you can get five on a wagon.’
Mr Morphet said the pods were in use at his Fell End park in Cumbria where they had been approved by the authorities.
They are also good value, costing as little as £25 a night for a family, said Mr Morphet.
He said he had been approached by officials from the government’s forestry division for advice. But he was not in any immediate rush to push for anything. ‘I’m waiting for them to come back to me,’ he said. ‘I don’t go out looking for work. I would be delighted but I’m not desperate for the work.’
Asked if he thought the island would eventually come on board to the idea of camping pods and log cabins he said: ‘I believe one day we will have them.’
He spoke exclusively to Business News as the second anniversary of his move to Bishopscourt near Ballaugh nears. ‘I’ve enjoyed every minute of it here,’ said Mr Morphet. He is ranked number 741 in the Sunday Times Rich List of 2011 with a personal fortune of £98 million.
The Preston-born businessman bought Bishopscourt in the west of the island for £5 million. He is one of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs and owns the Pure Leisure Group. The group’s reservations department is based at Bishopscourt. He said last year was the best year in six years for the group. He added that he had seen many more cars with Manx plates visiting Cumbria.
He said he spends 40 per cent of his time at his luxury 750-acre Royal Westmoreland resort in Barbados where he rubs shoulders with the rich and famous including Sir Cliff Richard, Rihanna and Wayne Rooney.
‘Cliff’s great, he’s very relaxed, so cool and calm. He loves playing tennis and I see him jogging regularly when I’m over there. I’ll be having a coffee with him when I’m over there next.’ He said: ‘From key in the door here in the island to key in the door in Barbados takes 13 hours, I know my way around. I fly from Ronaldsway to Gatwick and then from Gatwick to Barbados.’
Mr Morphet who employs around 600 people worldwide, is celebrating after the Royal Westmoreland estate recently clinched seven awards including the very top award of ‘Best International Golf Development’ at the International Residential Property Awards, after competing head to head with national finalists from around the globe.
The estate was bought by Mr Morphet in 2004, and he has since invested approximately $50 million dollars in the estate. He said: ‘These awards are a fantastic endorsement and are testament to the investment made over the last seven years to improve the golf course and facilities for residents and guests.
‘We provide all the ingredients for a truly exceptional lifestyle in one of the most beautiful and sought after regions of the world, so it’s wonderful to see recognition of this.’
It is estimated homes on the estate have increased in value by more than 200 per cent since Mr Morphet bought it. He told Business News that he noted a growing number of people from the Isle of Man getting involved with properties on the Barbados estate.
He said that after his trips to Barbados he loves nothing better than beans on toast and settling down with partner Donna to watch his favourite soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale. They know some of the cast members. Since moving to Bishopscourt he and Donna have made a point of opening up Bishopscourt’s very own chapel - known as St Nicholas Abbey.
And there have been about four weddings and a couple of christenings.
Bishopscourt was until recent times, the official residence of the Lord Bishops of Sodor and Mann.
Members of Mr Morphet’s family are regular visitors including his eight year old daughter who comes on alternate weekends.
Bishopscourt is set in beautiful mature gardens extending to about 10.5 acres. It was put up for sale in April 2007 by the estate of the late owner William Lomas. The oldest remaining portion of the house dates from the latter part of the 14th century.
Now it is not unusual for the jet-setting multi-millionaire’s helicopter to land on the lawn with members of his team from the UK arriving for high-level business meetings.
Away from the running of his business empire Mr Morphet told Business News he enjoys strolling across to his green house to pick home-grown lettuce and tomatoes. He also keeps a herd of Loaghtan sheep and calls this a ‘nice little hobby.’
As to the future, Mr Morphet revealed there are plans in the pipeline to open a holiday development in the UK next year which will contain 140 units that are ‘neither caravans or lodges.’
He said: ‘They have never been seen before. They have been designed and manufactured in our own factory. They will be very special and very modern.’ He described them as a ‘hybrid.’ Meanwhile Mr Morphet said things were looking up as more and more people holidayed at his parks.