BELFAST'S hospitality, retail and hotel sectors have come together to welcome one of the largest international conferences to ever take place in the city.
Around 5,000 delegates from the Royal College of Nursing will be attending their annual congress at Belfast Waterfront, starting on Saturday. The annual congress will be the largest ever held at the Waterfront and is set to generate almost £5m for the local economy.
In a bid to make sure everyone has a positive and enjoyable Belfast experience, hotels, restaurants, bars and shops will be using the conference’s official hashtag to attract the nurses during their five day stay.
Using the #RCN18, Belfast businesses are encouraged to promote their offerings to the nurses – who won the Freedom of the City back in 2016.
Operations director of Hospitality Ulster, Joe Neill said the congress is a boost for the city.
“The impact of the RCN Congress on the local economy has been estimated at £4.8m over the duration of the conference. This is a great opportunity for local hospitality businesses to attract the delegates with their wide range of offerings, as well as giving them a big Belfast welcome.”
Glyn Roberts, chief executive also welcomed the "significant win" for Belfast.
"We’re delighted to play a part in welcoming the Congress and we hope that attendees enjoy the vibrancy that Belfast has to offer as well as the terrific range of retail outlets, hotels, bars and restaurants in our city," he said.
Janice Gault, chief executive of Northern Ireland Hotels Federation, added: "This is a real success story for the city and shows what we can do when we all work in partnership."
