By Press Release
The owner of The George Hotel has revealed the impact of the Channel 5 programme ‘Jewel of the South’ has had on his business.
Howard Spooner, and The George, was in four of the six programmes, which featured a variety of Island businesses, including Sandown Airport, Briddlesford Farm and Ventnor Botanical Garden. It was originally scheduled for four episodes, but was expanded to six, after it regularly attracted viewing figures in excess of 900,000, making it in the top six of the station’s weekly programmes.
His regular appearances attracted some social media criticism for the amount of times it was featured, but he explained: “The programme’s producers approached me.
“They filmed us last summer, visiting us, maybe, five or six times. After the series was extended by two more programmes, they came back again for episode five which was all done the week before it was actually screened. So, it was all a bit of a rush.
“As for me paying them for the publicity? No, absolutely not, we didn’t pay a thing.
“The reaction to the programme has been staggering. We normally get 200-300 hits a day on our website with people browsing to see what we offer. But, on the days after the programme was broadcast, we were getting 20,000 hits! It has been a tremendous help to us with the bookings coming into the summer season.”
Will there be a follow-up? Howard added: “The company have been back in touch to say there may be a new season this summer, but nothing has been confirmed.”
