Business First September 2017 Business First September 2017 | Page 8

One million trips in first quarter of 2017 announced by TourismNI

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ourism NI has welcomed latest NISRA tourism performance figures which show a record one million overnight trips taken in Northern Ireland during January to March 2017 , an increase of six per cent .
Visitors from out of state markets spent £ 117 million and visitors from all markets combined , including Northern Ireland , spent a record £ 170 million , a seven per cent increase on the same period in 2016 .
Commenting on the NISRA statistics , Tourism NI Chief Executive John McGrillen said ; “ I am particularly encouraged by the strong growth in Republic of Ireland trips and spend , with a welcome 36 per cent increase in Republic of Ireland holiday trips following a very strong Tourism NI led promotional campaign , “ Say Hello to More , across autumn 2016 .
This was a joint campaign with the accommodation and visitor attractions sector stepping up their advertising and promotion in the Republic of Ireland market and helping to deliver growth by encouraging visitors to stay longer and spend more .”
“ The depreciating pound also continues to present opportunities and our own research confirms the positive results , with hotels generally reporting an excellent six months to June 2017 . Growth is evident from all markets , and overall the feedback we ’ ve received from the industry suggests an optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year ”.
NISRA accommodation statistics released last week provide a fuller picture up to June 2017 , with hotels delivering record level performance during the first half of the year

Bill Adamson marks 20th year at Carrickfergus Enterprise

ill Adamson has been elected as chairman of Carrickfergus Enterprise

Bfor a landmark 20th year . Bill took up the position in 1997 at one of Northern Ireland ’ s oldest enterprise agencies .

During his tenure Carrickfergus Enterprise has expanded its work space offering from 20,000 sq ft of industrial units to 54,000 sq ft of flexible workspace , high tech offices , admin areas , and conference and training facilities with plans for further expansion to cater for increased demand .
Mr Adamson commented : “ It is a great honour to be elected chairman of for a 20th year . I am very proud of our team and how they have secured the sustainability of not only our own business but of the many hundreds of local businesses who have been supported by Carrickfergus Enterprise in the past 20 years .
“ In this period we have seen traditional marketing and sales techniques give way to the birth of the internet and the first company websites and then to highly targeted crossplatform digital campaigns . The practical aspects of marketing may be changing every day , but the need for training and support in this area has not diminished over the years .
It is keeping abreast of the changes that many business see as their path to success . The past 20 years have shown us that it is the most agile of businesses that are the most successful . Keeping ahead of the technological curve is an important part of business development . Adopting new technology and adapting to new industries is how many businesses are staying relevant and securing their futures .
Looking back at the changes of the last 20 years , many would have been difficult to predict . For businesses including our own , the key to success is adaptation . We ’ re looking forward to the next 20 years and how we can continue to support the next generation of businesses .”
and almost one million hotel rooms sold and average room occupancy reaching 70 per cent .
Guesthouses , guest accommodation and B & Bs also experienced significant levels of growth during the first half of the year . According to Tourism NI ’ s latest industry barometer , more than three­fifths of attractions have reported increases in visitor numbers compared with January to June 2016 .

Christina is CI Winner

hristina Morales was recently awarded the Chartered Institute of Taxation ’ s

C‘ KPMG Pat Cullinan Memorial Medal ’ for achieving the highest mark of all Northern Ireland candidates in the Chartered Institute of Taxation final exams . Christina studied Mathematics at the University of Sheffield and works for PwC .

Pat Cullinan , a native of Co . Tyrone and a tax partner with accountancy firm KPMG , was killed in the tragic air accident , which also claimed five other lives , at Cork Airport on 10 February 2011 .
Pictured with Christina are Pat ’ s brother Aidan Cullinan ( L ) and Johnny Hanna , Head of Tax at KPMG in Northern Ireland ( R ).
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