Visit Belfast announced results from its most successful year yet at its annual general meeting, held at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park on Thursday, 22 September.
Junior Minister Alastair Ross MLA was in attendance, along with Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill, who welcomed a packed audience made up of tourism industry representatives and key stakeholders to the first external event to be held at the newly renovated stadium’s event space in south Belfast.
Speaking at the event, Junior Minister Alastair Ross MLA said “Standing here in the new Windsor Stadium, I am pleased to say that just like the Green and White Army at the Euros, our tourism industry is enjoying a great run of results.
“In the past year, we have seen some of our highest ever figures, and with initiatives such as the Year of Food and Drink in full swing and the new Belfast Waterfront now fully operational, we are anticipating that this year will build on 2015/16’s success and prove to be set another record year for the tourism industry.
“Visit Belfast is a great example of a public-private sector framework, delivering visitors to the city region, and I am encouraged by the fact that its track record is excellent and that its vision for tourism in the city is bold and ambitious.”
Visit Belfast – the official destination marketing and management organisation (DMMO) for the city – reported record figures for the past financial year, which resulted in £97 million for the local economy, 303,000 bed-nights, 116,000 cruise passengers, 652,000 visitor enquiries handled at Visit Belfast’s visitor information centres (VICs) and 70 conferences secured for the city.
Dr Howard Hastings, chair of Visit Belfast, also reported on activity in the current financial year, which is already shaping up to be hugely successful for the city’s tourism economy.
“We are building on the success of last year, with all indications showing that this year has the potential to be even bigger. During July and August this year hotel room demand has been phenomenal, up 10 percent according to STR Global on the same two months last year and at all-time highs – August alone registering a staggering 94.5 percent hotel room occupancy.
“From June to September, Belfast will have hosted 29 conferences, welcoming nearly 43,000 delegates to the city and by the end of 2016, the city will have welcomed over 140,000 cruise visitors from 84 ships – another record high. This is all great news for our hotels, transport providers, visitor attractions, restaurants and pubs.”
But Dr Hastings also warned that there is no room for complacency as he called for continued investment in tourism infrastructure: “Tourism is central to the economic and employment fortunes of Belfast and Northern Ireland, and Visit Belfast will continue working with both the public and private sectors to maximise Belfast and Northern Ireland’s tourism potential.”
Visit Belfast’s 2015/16 annual review can be viewed here.