Top hotelier to head North tourist board

A leading hotelier was today named as the new chairman of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB).

The North's Tourism Minister Arlene Foster announced the appointment of Howard Hastings, the Managing Director of Hastings Hotels.

Mr Hastings has been appointed as chairman of the NITB, from March 1 this year, until December 31, 2011.

The minister said: “Despite the current economic downturn, I am confident that Mr Hastings will make a significant contribution to NITB’s endeavours in contributing to the achievement of stretching tourism targets in the Executive’s Programme for Government.

“The wide range of skills and experiences that Mr Hastings will bring to the board can assist the NITB in its pursuit to grow and develop Northern Ireland tourism.”

As well as being MD of the Hastings Hotels, Mr Hastings is also a director of Merrion Hotel Ltd in the Republic and currently chairs the tourism wing of the British Department of Employment and Learning’s Future Skills Action Group.

He was originally appointed as a member of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board on January 1, 2009.

During the 1990’s he was chairman of the Institute of Directors and founding chairman of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation.

The Northern Ireland Executive’s Programme for Government has set targets that include increasing the number of tourists visiting the region from 1.98 million to 2.5 million by 2011 and increasing tourism revenue from £370m (4417m) to £520m (€586m).