Tourism ’ s promise reaches maturity in 2017
by Dr Peter Bolan , Ulster University
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hichever way we view it , tourism has performed incredibly well in Northern Ireland in 2016 . In terms of the economic landscape there can be no doubt that the industry has risen to new heights in recent years and that tourism now has very strong potential for future economic growth .
Recent statistics released by NISRA showed a five per cent increase in overall visitor spend in Northern Ireland on the previous year and a 12 per cent increase in international visitor expenditure .
Furthermore , visitors spent some £ 789m in the local economy with 72 per cent coming from external visitors making tourism worth £ 571m as an export business . All very healthy and very much an upward trend .
A key focus of 2016 was of course the Year of Food and Drink . Indeed , food and drink can be seen very much as one of the essential elements of the tourist experience .
This can therefore bring a significant economic dividend to a country or region that can provide the mix of good quality food and drink that today ’ s tourist seeks . In fact , food and beverage expenditures can amount to as much as onethird of overall tourist expenditure in terms of global tourism turnover .
Trends in tourism show that tourists are increasingly seeking a stronger connection to the places and communities that they visit . It ’ s not just about taking in the scenery and visiting the key tourist attractions .
Our visitors want to be immersed in the local communities they visit , eat local cuisine , drink local beer , taste local whiskey and indeed meet the artisans making the products they are tasting and purchasing .
The quality of our Northern Ireland produce is now incredibly high . The range , depth and quality of food dishes on offer in our restaurants has developed tremendously in recent times ( with many great accolades , reviews and awards received to highlight such success ).
The sheer creativity , variety and success of our artisan food and drink producers is also something to celebrate and to be proud of . In short , we have the ‘ product ’ and a great story to tell and the themed Year of Food and Drink afforded us the opportunity to showcase this to a vast audience .
We witnessed a myriad food and drink events throughout the year , some preexisting that have always been successful ( though receiving a renewed interest ) and a great many new ones created through the various themed months across the year , from brewing and distilling to seas , rivers and loughs , from bread and baking to harvest time . All in all , a great showcase for a strong aspect of our overall tourism product .
Film or screen tourism , particularly channelled through the success of Game of Thrones , continued to grow in 2016 bringing a strong level of international attention for this lucrative form of tourism . Indeed we even had tragedy turned into something highly positive with the ‘ Door of Thrones ’ campaign .
An excellent initiative utilising the wood from a number of trees that tragically came down during stormy weather at The Dark Hedges ( one of the most iconic Game of Thrones locations ). Some 10 intricately carved wooden doors were created from the trees that fell , each one themed around key aspects , stories and themes from recent episodes .
It was also a great year for our visitor attractions , culminating in huge success for Titanic Belfast being named the ‘ World ’ s Leading Tourist Attraction ’ at the World Travel Awards in December .
An enormously important accolade and testament to the strength and quality of our visitor attractions in Northern Ireland and just how far we have come . The Giant ’ s Causeway received a number of awards during the year , including a Gold National Heritage Award for their continued contribution to visitor enjoyment .
They are often the main motivators for tourist trips and are at the very heart of the overall tourism product . To have our visitor attractions internationally recognised in such ways is a fantastic achievement and bodes very well for 2017 and beyond .
What does 2017 have in store
We need the great momentum from the Year of Food and Drink to continue , so that this aspect continues to grow and remains a fundamentally important aspect of our product for the visitor to enjoy and experience . We have to think strategically about film / screen tourism and develop this form of tourism to even higher potential , using some of the great initiatives around Game of Thrones as a catalyst to create an even greater and truly vibrant film tourism destination experience for visitors .
The great awardwinning level of experience that our visitor attractions provide needs to continue to be profiled to the world to attract even greater numbers of international visitors here and ensure they have memorable and enjoyable themed experiences .
QUOTABEQUOTE
We have the quality product in Northern Ireland that visitors seek , we have authenticity , we have great food and drink produce and experiences , we have award winning visitor attractions , we have the recognised locations to attract film and television fans and we are hosting some of the top golfing tournaments and events that will be watched by literally hundreds of millions of people around the world .
In 2017 we have an opportunity to stimulate another lucrative form of tourism , namely golf tourism , when the Irish Open returns north again , this time to Portstewart . Arguably more important than ever , with the Open Championship on the north coast now just two years away .
The economic benefits are potentially enormous as long as we are ready to capitalise on it in the right way . Golf ’ s Open Championship in 2019 in particular will showcase Portrush and Northern Ireland to the world and if we can embrace it with the same spirit and welcome that was so highly evident for other events it recent years .
We have the quality product in Northern Ireland that visitors seek , we have authenticity , we have great food and drink produce and experiences , we have award winning visitor attractions , we have the recognised locations to attract film and television fans and we are hosting some of the top golfing tournaments and events that will be watched around the world .
The tourism future is bright .
2017 holds a lot of promise . It can be an even better year than 2016 . If we can get it right and maximise the potential with the focus on the right areas that have momentum , profile and reach , then Northern Ireland can continue to grow as a tourism destination and our economy can truly benefit from a hugely important industry .
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