North must be better marketed, say ministers

A cross-border tourism agency must dramatically improve the way it markets the North abroad as a holiday destination, ministers on both sides of the border were urged today.

As Stormont Economy Minister Nigel Dodds prepared to meet Minister for Tourism Seamus Brennan in Dublin, he was urged by party colleague David Simpson to insist that Tourism Ireland improves the way it pitches the North internationally as a holiday destination.

Democratic Unionist MP David Simpson said ahead of the summit: "I trust the minister will relay to Mr Brennan the concerns that there are about the overall funding that Tourism Ireland receives.

"We hope that more money is put across to the promotion of Northern Ireland because that has not been the case over the past number of years.

"Northern Ireland has come through 35 years of difficulties. There is a lot of potential for tourism. However I don't believe Tourism Ireland has been played fair by Northern Ireland.

"I believe more effort needs to be made to do that."

While Fáilte Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board promote their regions domestically, Tourism Ireland was set up to market the entire island abroad.

However unionist politicians have raised concerns about Tourism Ireland's performance.

While the North has ploughed £22m (€31.5m) into the agency's budget during 2007/8, one third of its overall budget, unionists have complained that only a fifth of visitors to Ireland come north of the border.

By way of contrast, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board was set a budget of £11m.

Mr Simpson said he had raised his concerns directly with Tourism Ireland officials at the Stormont Assembly's Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee.

"The message they have been giving to us is that they are definitely doing their bit," the Upper Bann MP.

"However we don't see evidence of it.

"Now the Assembly is up and running let's see some evidence. I think from the minister's point of view he will be keeping the pressure up on them to see tangible evidence - not just hearsay.

"We want to see it operating well, we want targets set and achieved. There was an increase in the recent budget for tourism and we want to see results."

Mr Dodds will be accompanied at today's meeting in Dublin Castle by Sinn Féin Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew.