AQW 19138/22-27


Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford


Tabled Date: 02/12/2024
Answered On Date: 06/01/2025
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any actions being taken to future-proof tourist accommodation provision by increasing the number of accessible beds that can be used by the aging customer and people with disabilities.


Answer:
Under the Tourism (Northern Ireland) Order 1992 (“the 1992 Order”), all visitor/tourist accommodation in the North must be certified by Tourism NI to legally operate. The scope of the 1992 Order, and Tourism NI’s Certification Scheme for Visitor Accommodation, is tightly defined, with Tourism NI’s role limited to inspecting each property to ensure that it meets a minimum standard of safety, cleanliness and the provision of facilities.
Officials in my Department are currently working with Tourism NI to review the certification scheme and its criteria for each of the existing eight statutory accommodation categories. Accessibility ratings are currently outside the scope of the accommodation certification scheme, with accessibility requirements in this area primarily sitting within building regulations. However, my Department and Tourism NI are looking to see if accessibility issues can be considered as part of the certification criteria review.
As part of this review process, we welcome additional proposals for changes to the certification regulations which can be considered in line with my Department’s remit, and once my Officials have finalised proposed amendments, it is our intention to publicly consult on these in the first half of 2025 to ensure that we get public and industry views on same.
In the meantime, Tourism NI continues to work proactively to encourage accommodation providers and other tourism businesses to be accessible and inclusive to all visitors. A series of industry webinars have been delivered, and a toolkit of useful information and advice is due to be launched in spring 2025. A range of online guidance is also available at https://www.tourismni.com/business-guidance/business-support/accessibility/.
Information on accessibility features is also displayed on individual business listings on the Tourism NI consumer website (Discover Northern Ireland) which can help visitors make an informed choice when deciding where to stay on their trip etc.