AQW 30641/17-22

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 07/03/2022
Answered On Date: 16/03/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy what investment his Department has made to promote Lough Neagh as a tourist destination, in each of the last 5 years.

Answer:

In each of the last five years, Lough Neagh and experiences and attractions surrounding the area, have featured in Tourism NI advertising and marketing campaigns which have included television, radio, press, social and digital media and inclusion in PR campaigns. The Lough Neagh area has also featured extensively and consistently on the Tourism NI consumer website, discovernorthernireland.com, which includes accommodation providers, activities, events and eating out suggestions.

More recently, Tourism NI has heavily invested in promoting Northern Ireland as a leading tourism and short break destination since the lifting of travel restrictions, in May 2021 in Northern Ireland, and June 2021 in Republic of Ireland. In total, £12.7million has been invested this financial year across multiple campaigns and initiatives, including advertising, media, public relations, creative content, and cooperative marketing funds, supporting the marketing activity of the tourism industry and local authorities.

An integral part of the Northern Ireland tourism recovery strategy, Tourism NI’s positive consumer campaigns highlight the many ways people can embrace Northern Ireland’s giant spirit, and Lough Neagh area features extensively. Featuring across TV, radio, press, social and digital media channels, Lough Neagh Stories, Oxford Island Nature Reserve, Antrim Castle Gardens and Loughshore have been specifically promoted.

Lough Neagh Stories in particularly has received extensive support. A member of the Tourism NI Giant Spirit Experience Collection, it has featured as part of our television advertising, and as part of the Tourism NI Humans in NI profile series, featuring Anne-Marie McStocker & Gary McErlain. Furthermore, Tourism NI have commissioned bespoke NI destination television programmes, on both major Republic of Ireland terrestrial television networks, RTE and Virgin Media, showcasing the wealth of activities and attractions across NI, including Lough Neagh Stories.

All Tourism NI promotional activity is directed to the consumer website, discovernorthernireland.com, which is the platform for numerous Lough Neagh based attractions. The website features numerous blogs featuring Lough Neagh, including, “Wild Swimming”, “Water Activities””, Activities for St Patrick’s Day”, “Activities for Valentine’s Day”, “Visiting County Armagh Itinerary” and the “Unique Foods of NI,” blog, featuring Lough Neagh Eels.

Tourism NI’s ongoing programme of public relations activity has generated £5.5m worth of coverage in the Republic Of Ireland market in the financial year 2021/22. This includes promoting events and attractions in the Lough Neagh area, including Suzanne Campbell of the Countrywide show on RTE Radio 1 – Ireland’s most listened to radio station, who visited Lough Neagh in July 2021 for a feature on the show. Looking ahead, Isobel Conway of The Herald will also be visiting later in March for a tourism feature incorporating Lough Neagh as a focus.

Outside of direct promotional activity, the Tourism NI Market Led Product Development Fund has contributed £182,400 for tourism within the Antrim and Newtownabbey Council area, inclusive of initiatives and experiences focusing on Lough Neagh.

Tourism businesses in the Lough Neagh area have been invited to submit offers and to apply for funding support for the Tourism Northern Ireland Co-operative Marketing Fund, to support their own promotional activity over the summer and autumn periods in 2021 and once again in spring 2022. Over this time, the Tourism Northern Ireland Co-operative Marketing Fund supported the marketing activity of 29 businesses in Antrim and Newtownabbey council area. Additionally, these funds have also supported 34 from the Mid Ulster Council area and 27 from the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council area.

Tourism Northern Ireland also works closely, and in conjunction, with all 11 local authorities. Alongside this, a partnership marketing fund for Councils has been in place from spring 2021, offering marketing support for every council, including of course Antrim and Newtownabbey. Since that time Tourism NI has provided £15,000 in funding support for marketing activity of the council. Additionally, these funds have also provided £45,000 for the Mid Ulster Council area and £58,989 for the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council area.

Tourism Northern Ireland holds a monthly marketing meeting with representatives invited from all Councils and works closely with the marketing teams from Antrim and Newtownabbey, Mid Ulster and Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Councils.