Minutes for Development Committee meeting, Feb 8 2010, 4.30PM official page

            Apologies for inability to attend were reported from the Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Lavery) and Councillors Kirkpatrick, Kyle and Mhic Giolla Mhín.

 

Deputy Lord Mayor

 

            Having been advised that the Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Lavery) was recovering at home following a short stay in hospital, the Committee agreed that its best wishes for a speedy recovery be conveyed to him.

 

 

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“Relevant Background Information

 

      In recent years, Belfast has built up a reputation as an international tourism destination.  It has also become a key gateway for tourists visiting Northern Ireland and the whole of the island of Ireland.  Latest figures suggest that visits to the City are worth up to £500m per year for the local economy, supporting 10,000 jobs in the Greater Belfast area.  In 2008, the City attracted 1.6m staying visits, 5.5m day visits and 64,000 cruise passengers (and crew).  Belfast has a new brand and a range of new or improved products coming on stream (City Hall, Titanic Signature Project, Ulster Museum, Ulster Hall, Lyric Theatre).  Investment planned or underway in the City centre by both public and private sectors amounts to some £1 billion of projects with a further £0.7 billion outside the inner area at planning or implementation stage.

 

      The Belfast Integrated Strategic Tourism Framework sets the direction of tourism development and marketing within the City over the next 5–10 years.  Through a detailed action plan it will outline how we underpin the investment/success to date and deliver future growth.  It was produced by TTC International, managed by a steering group comprising representatives from NITB, BCC and BVCB and chaired by Cllr William Humphrey.

 

      The final draft strategy is available on Modern.gov.  Party briefings have been undertaken with all Parties during January 2010.  A period of targeted consultation will follow after the Council meeting (with key delivery agencies e.g. DSD, DEL, Airports etc) and we intend to launch the finalised plan in late spring for the new season.  The study is funded 50:50 by NITB and BCC.

 

      NITB is also preparing the Northern Ireland Tourism Strategy for the same period.  The intention is to ensure both Strategies dovetail and complement one another.  A similar approach is being adopted for Derry/Londonderry. 

 

Key Issues

 

      In summary the main points from the Strategy are as follows:

 

      Targets

 

      The current targets in the study are as follows:

 

Growth Targets

2008

Low

Medium

High

 

No.

%

No.

%

No.

%

No.

Total Visitors

1.6M

20

1.92M

30

2.08M

40

2.24M

Holiday Visitors

  0.5M

40

0.71M

50

0.77M

60

0.82M

Nights

5.1 M

10

5,600,000

15

5,850,000

20

6,100,000

Spend

£201M

10

£231M

15

£245m

20

£261m

 

      The Strategy is based on delivering the higher targets.  NITB has agreed to show how the above targets relate to Northern Ireland Tourism Strategy – this work is still in progress.

 

      Strategic Direction

 

      The strategic direction outlined in the document is two fold;

 

1.