Changing perceptions of NI will boost tourism

It is critical for the future of tourism that Northern Ireland is perceived for all that is good and not for its recent history.

This was according to Sir Reg Empey, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, at the official opening of the expanded and refurbished White Horse Hotel Conference and Leisure Centre on the outskirts of Londonderry.

The Minister said: “World tourism is a growth industry, so clearly the potential is there. Much has been achieved in Northern Ireland, but there is still much to do. We have an excellent product and a developing infrastructure, but we still need to develop a tourism product that is underpinned by quality and able to compete on the world stage.

“If we are to be successful in an increasingly competitive world it is essential that we are smarter than our competitors in how we market and sell Northern Ireland. This is a major task, which is being tackled by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Tourism Ireland Limited.

“There is no point, however, selling a product if in the end it does not match or even exceed customer expectations, a major challenge particularly in the fast moving and dynamic world of the 21 Century.”

Congratulating the owners, the Minister said that it was particularly rewarding to visit a hotel that has been operating since 1967 and managed to keep growing despite all of the problems the industry had to face during 'the troubles'.

(MB)