northen ireland chamber of commerce

Tourism in Belfast is a growth industry and has produced
benefits for local businesses in both manufacturing and
international services, including giftware, food processing,
transport and travel services.
Visitor numbers have doubled to
over four million a year, including
over 700,000 from outside Northern
Ireland, since 1999. These visitors
now spend
over £230
million a
year in the
modern hotels,
shops, bars and
restaurants that
are to be found in
most parts of the city
emerging from the days of
conflict. Some 15,000 jobs have
either been created or safeguarded
from the growth in tourism.
In addition, high profile conferences
have been attracted to the Waterfront
Hall in particular, now one of the
UKÕs most popular convention
centres. Visitors from virtually every
continent came to Belfast last year
for conferences in the Waterfront.
Over the past few years, Belfast
has emerged as one of EuropeÕs
most popular city break venues,
a standing that is encouraging
significant private sector investment
in modern amenities for tourists.
Continued investment in Belfast is
essential because the city accounts
for around 50% of the tourism
economy, 64% of all visits and
95% of the conference business
in Northern Ireland. Up to 50% of
tourism jobs are also in Belfast.
To ensure the success of the many
retail and hotel projects either
underway or planned, the city needs
to continue its co-ordinated efforts
to attract even more visitors,
especially those who will spend
longer than a weekend. Thanks
to the work of the Air Route
Development Company (ARD)
it is now much easier for Europeans
and Americans to visit Belfast and
other parts of Northern Ireland.
One of the longest running
regeneration projects is the work of
the Laganside Corporation which,
from the late 1980s, after years of
neglect and decline, has transformed
Belfast's waterfront, which has now
become a focus for business, leisure
and cultural activities.
The re-establishment of the
Northern Ireland Assembly has
ensured greater confidence in the
local business community and with
brand names such as House of
Fraser and IKEA all now becoming
established in Belfast, the future
has never looked brighter for
economic growth and regeneration
in the city.
Web.
www.northenirelandchamber.com
Tel. 028 9024 4113