Private and public sector tourism forums announced

NIO Trade Minister Ian Pearson has announced the setting up of two new bodies designed to boost the province's tourism industry at a meeting today with the Northern Ireland Tourist Industry Confederation (NITIC).

The Tourism Strategy Forum and an Inter-Departmental Co-ordination Group on Tourism have been proposed as key to DETI's 'Tourism Strategic Framework' which has been devised in association with the private and public tourism sectors.

The meeting also provided an opportunity for the NITIC representatives to inform the Minister about their current and future plans, covering the key cross-sectoral strategic issues and initiatives to develop tourism in Northern Ireland.

Mr Pearson said: “I believe that the planned shared approach involving both public and private sectors is an exciting and very pro-active step. Given the full commitment and co-operation of all interests, we can make Northern Ireland a competitive international tourist destination.”

NITIC chairman Denis Galway said the move would "help towards optimizing Northern Ireland’s immense tourist potential”.

The government's 'Tourism Strategic Framework' sets out the basic plan for taking forward the shared approach across the public and private sectors to enable the tourism industry in Northern Ireland to develop over the next few years.

The framework included three strategic priorities – co-ordination of government interests, private sector involvement and a shared approach. The government has said that the creation of NITIC goes a "considerable way" to meeting the involvement of the private sector through the establishment of a group drawn from key industry interests. The other two priorities will be met by the setting up of an Inter-Departmental Co-ordination Group and the Tourism Strategy Forum.

The Tourism Strategy Forum will be chaired by the Minister and will normally meet twice a year.

(GMcG)