Titanic Belfast Hails Successful Year

First Minister Rt Hon Peter D Robinson MLA and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA have attended an event at Titanic Belfast to mark the success of the first year of operation of the world class visitor attraction.

The Ministers were attending the 'Titanic Belfast One Year On Review' which found that in its first year, the exhibition has attracted over 800,000 visitors from 128 countries across the world and generated millions of pounds to the Northern Ireland economy.

The First Minister said: "The exceptional success of Titanic Belfast continues to exceed all our expectations. Visitor numbers in the first year of operation have reached over 800,000, making it the most popular visitor attraction in Northern Ireland. The direct benefit to the Northern Ireland economy through tourism expenditure has totalled £54.3million.

"The Executive has placed the growth of the economy and an increase in visitor numbers to Northern Ireland at the heart of its Programme for Government. There can be no doubt that Titanic Belfast has proved a world renowned attraction and an achievement of which we should all be rightly proud."

The deputy First Minister continued: "Titanic Belfast has drawn in almost 500,000 visitors to the city in 2012 and positioned itself as a key attraction in its own right as well as a key motivator for pulling in visitors to the city."

(CD)