NITB says new service is not a waste of money

THE Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) yesterday rejected stinging criticism from Gulliver Ireland that it is wasting taxpayers money.

Gulliver, the Fexco owned Killorglin based on-line accommodation reservation service, unleashed the blistering broadside against its former customer and one time partner.

“The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) has made a monumental mistake by wasting taxpayer’s money in creating its new accommodation reservations system, TIDInet,” according to Gulliver Ireland managing director, Dr Stewart Stephens.

In response the NITB said its decision was commercially sound to end its contract with Gulliver and would cost the company considerably less than Gulliver.

“The fact that Gulliver Ireland should choose to issue a press release questioning NITB and TIDInet is very regrettable. It is even more regrettable that Gulliver Ireland should choose to involve the media without contacting us first.

“NITB had a productive working relationship with Gulliver for seven years. In fact, when the contract terminated at the end of August we offered to meet Gulliver’s senior management to discuss possible future areas of cooperation. This offer has not been taken up.”

Mr Stephens, who claimed the new system would not put one extra person in a bed in Northern Ireland, said that Gulliver had been inundated by calls from Northern Ireland accommodation providers who were angered and dismayed by the NITB decision.