Ulster Unionist Spokesperson on Tourism, Sandra Overend, has commented that the tourism figures for 2012, released by NISRA this week, contain some encouraging news and also evidence that some areas require further work, in spite of the investment made in Our Time, Our Place 2012 campaign.

The Mid-Ulster MLA said,

“Looking at the NISRA 2012 Northern Ireland Tourism Statistics, it seems that “Our Time Our Place 2012” delivered in terms of overseas visitors but has been less successful in attracting visitors from GB.

The Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister, who is accountable for tourism, had hailed 2012 as a “tipping point” for Northern  Ireland tourism. However, the tourist figures for 2012 suggest only a partial success. Although the numbers of visitors from the Republic of Ireland and overseas countries rose by 16%, this was largely offset by a fall in visitors from GB, and a drop in people from Northern Ireland making overnight stays here.

“The drop in visitors from Great Britain is concerning, as they make up the majority of our inward visitors. The number of people coming here to visit friends and relatives decreased significantly as well, but more people did come here citing “holiday” as their reason of visit. This suggests that more people are coming to Northern Ireland as a destination, not just a location, and although this increase in holiday makers did translate to an increase in people visiting our main attractions, there were some significant falls in attractions such as the Giant’s Causeway and Belfast Zoo.”

Sandra continued,

“One should not be too pessimistic because we are in the midst of a major economic recession and many locals and visitors alike simply do not have the funds for holidays or short breaks. Doubtless the money and effort that was put into promoting Northern Ireland as part of the “Our Time, Our Place 2012” campaign and the investment in new signature attractions has had some impact. However we cannot become complacent and an even greater effort is needed to effectively promote Northern Ireland to a main tourist base to the Great Britain market, while continuing to seek to attract visitors from further afield.  An increase in holiday makers, rather than simply visitors, will help to boost the hospitality sector, as more people stay in our hotels and B&Bs, and eat in our restaurants, rather than staying with family and friends.

“Northern Ireland is a fantastic destination, with a great number of unique and original attractions and hospitality that is world renowned. We need to promote that to as wide an audience as possible so that tourism can make real contributions to economic growth here. This year Northern Ireland plays host to the World Police and Fire Games, the Lough Erne Resort in Fermanagh hosted the G8 World Leaders Conference, and Londonderry has been granted the title of UK City of Culture 2013. These events present us with an ideal opportunity to present all of Northern Ireland as a viable alternative to other holiday destinations, and we need to use these one off showcase events to promote the permanent attractions here, to ensure that people who come here for the first time will want to return again and again.”