Island company goes from strength to strength following Wightlink partnership
Tuesday, 6 January 2026
Small businesses in the Island holiday lettings trade are benefitting from a link-up between Wightlink and an Isle of Wight travel company.
It’s not easy being a small tourism reliant business in the current economy but now Ryde based business Atlas Ferries is working with Wightlink to provide the best-value deals to smaller traders and private individuals in the sector.
Atlas works with around 250 holiday-let properties on the Island, a number which has grown from just 50 in 2022.
Business owner and keen sailor Chris Bamber moved to the Isle of Wight with his family in 2008 and after a spell having a successful school photography business, he diversified when the pandemic hit, setting up a holiday-let management company.
Managing holiday homes highlighted a key challenge for guests: accessible ferry travel.
This led to a strong partnership with Wightlink, which helped boost bookings and improve the guest experience.
Later, when an Airbnb owner asked for help securing discounted ferry rates for their visitors, Chris saw a broader opportunity.
After discussions with Wightlink, Atlas Ferries was created — and the decision was made to reduce the holiday-let management side of the business to focus on ferry support services.
The Atlas Ferries team – Chris, Gillian, Karen, Jonathan and Izzy – help accommodation providers of every size access discounted ferry travel for their guests.
Today, with what it describes as the “invaluable support of Wightlink”, the business proudly partners with around 250 Island hosts and has delivered more than 3,000 bookings this year alone.
Kirstie Higgins-Day, Wightlink’s Head of Business Development, said: “I’m really proud of this partnership. We listened to the issues small island businesses faced and reacted quickly to the proposal presented by Chris to help support Island accommodation owners.
“Year on year the account has grown and that’s down to the fantastic relationship we have with Chris and his team and planning ahead together to ensure we react strategically to the tourism market.”
Chris Bamber from Atlas said: “Our partnership with Wightlink is strengthening local tourism and making journeys to the Isle of Wight smoother for everyone.
“Every booking we make helps our local economy, and I’m proud that our partnership with Wightlink makes that possible.
“We love the Island and love sharing it. Our job is simply to help people get here with a great deal. There are thousands of independent accommodation providers on the Island, and while we work with only a few, we’d love to hear from anyone who thinks we could help.
“Partnering with Wightlink has shown me that they genuinely champion smaller accommodation businesses and they’re on our side.
“Thanks to Wightlink’s outstanding B2B support, we’ve been able to grow a strong local brand and deliver excellent service to our customers.”
“We’re proud of our 5-star Trustpilot rating. It reflects our commitment to great service and flexibility. But we couldn’t do it without Wightlink’s proactive support and efficient booking systems.”
Accommodation providers who want to hear more can contact Atlas Ferries at www.atlasferries.co.uk