The Council of Ministers has taken the decision to cancel the 2020 Isle of Man TT Races which were due to take place between 30th May and 13th June.
The decision has been taken following confirmation that the Island has stepped up its measures to protect the population against the pandemic.
Laurence Skelly MHK, Minister for Enterprise, commented:
"The decision to cancel has not been taken lightly and all options including postponement and delaying the decision have been considered in detail. Representatives from the Isle of Man Government will now discuss the implications with all relevant businesses, stakeholders and individuals affected by this cancellation, which it recognises will be significant.
With the visitor restriction in place for the foreseeable future we wanted to make the decision now to give businesses, visitors and all involved stakeholders time to manage the impact going forward. The Isle of Man, and the Isle of Man TT, are faced with unique challenges regarding COVID-19 and making this decision will provide certainty to teams, competitors, sponsors and stakeholders of the event and to visitors across the globe.
The decision also aims to provide reassurance for our residents and healthcare professionals that the health and well-being of the Isle of Man’s residents is the single biggest priority and focus of this Government."
The Department for Enterprise will, in due course, issue full refunds for all Official Tickets including grandstand tickets, hospitality packages and other Official Event Experiences purchased through iomttraces.com.
The Department’s Motorsport Team is continuing to work with the Manx Motor Cycle Club for the successful delivery of the 2020 Classic TT Races and Manx Grand Prix which is due to begin on 22nd August 2020 and will continue to review the delivery of the event against prevailing global conditions.
The Department for Enterprise and Treasury are looking at various options to support businesses affected by the cancellation and will be introducing a range of support measures, the first of which will be announced in Tynwald tomorrow.