VISIT Belfast has unveiled ambitious plans to create a billion-pound tourism industry by 2020.
Announcing its action plan for the year the group has said it will deliver new and sustained tourism growth across the city, lift visitor numbers to new highs and secure fresh multi-million-pound payback for the economy.
And it is hoped this will contribute to the Northern Ireland-wide pledge to create a £1 billion tourism industry by 2020 and build on a record-breaking 2016.
In the year to end-March, Visit Belfast’s bid to drive tourism success across three key areas – business and leisure tourism, and visitor servicing – generated an above-target £122 million for the city’s economy, 25 percent more than last year and an all-time high for Belfast.
The operational plans for 2017-18 form part of the Visit Belfast strategy to deliver 1.4 million bed nights, 680,000 cruise visitors, three million visitor enquiries and more than £390 million to the local economy between 2016 and 2020
Visit Belfast chair Howard Hastings said the ambitious plans were achievable.
“Tourism is a key pillar in Belfast’s developing economy and a mainstay for its success in many areas," he said.
"Strategic spending on our tourism infrastructure has helped the city to flourish and grow, generating wealth and further investment while sustaining jobs and adding many more."
Chief executive Gerry Lennon added: “Growing visitor numbers continues to drive greater confidence in tourism investment, helping to drive more than £1 billion in infrastructure development across the city which includes new hotels, world class visitor attractions and an increasing number of inbound air access opportunities."
