Northern Ireland

The tourism industry has enjoyed a period of growth in Northern Ireland over the past few years and is worth an estimated £501million annually to the economy, supporting nearly 40,000 jobs.

Northern Ireland is divided into 6 counties Antrim, Tyrone, Derry, Fermanagh, Down and Armagh and has 2 main cities, Belfast and Derry. The city of Belfast boasts vibrant cultural quarters, arts festivals, boutique hotels and a good food scene, which showcases the best of local produce. Other popular attractions include the world famous Giant s Causeway and Fermanagh Lakes, while the Mourne Mountains are just a short trip from any location.

The development, promotion and marketing of Northern Ireland as a tourist destination is undertaken by the national tourist board, whilst local area marketing and tourism development is undertaken by regional partnerships.

The Northern Ireland Tourist Board

The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) is the strategic leader for tourism and works in partnership with stakeholders to drive the development of the Northern Ireland tourism product and market Northern Ireland within the island of Ireland. It also identifies where the best prospects exist to deliver world class excellence and develops programmes to assist the tourism industry to reach its potential.

NITB is committed to establishing the most appropriate local delivery network required to grow and enhance Northern Ireland as a tourism destination, and believes Regional Tourism Partnerships have an increasingly significant role to play.

Key People

Chief Executive Alan Clarke
Chief Operating Officer Kathryn Thomson
Director of Product Development Siobhan McCauley
Director of Business Development Robert Cully
Destination Marketing Ruth Burns

Contact Details

St Anne s Court
59 North Street
Belfast
BT1 1NB
Telephone: 028 9023 1221
Fax: 028 9024 0960
Textphone: 09044 1522

Industry website www.nitb.com

Consumer website www.discovernorthernireland.com

Sub Regional

Regional Tourism Partnerships

Within Northern Ireland there are four Regional Tourism Partnerships (RTPs):

·Armagh Down Regional Tourism Partnership
·Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau
·Causeway Coast & Glens Regional Tourism Partnership
·Western Regional Tourism Partnership

The partnerships, funded by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, have been formed to support the successful delivery of economic growth targets, with each RTP responsible for delivering regional priorities relating to visitor servicing; product development; industry training and marketing. The RTPs bring together representatives of local councils, government agencies, and the private sector.

Sunday, 5 September 2010