Agenda item

            The Deputy Chairperson welcomed Mr. G. Lennon, Chief Executive, Visit Belfast, and Ms. M. McGivern, Chair, Visit Belfast, to the Committee and they were admitted to the meeting.           

            The Senior Manager, Culture and Tourism, advised the Committee that the Visit Belfast representatives were in attendance to present its annual funding request for 2025/26 and to set out its strategic development and operational delivery, focused on supporting tourism growth.

            She highlighted the continued growth within the tourism sector and that Belfast had hosted 1.7 million overnight trips that accounted for 31 per cent of all overnight trips across Northern Ireland. She reported that the overnight trips had generated £538 million in tourism spend, 44 per cent of all tourism spend across Northern Ireland. She explained that challenges included staffing, costs of doing business within the tourism and hospitality sector and the impact of opening hours on hospitality.

            She advised the Committee that the Council had worked closely with Visit Belfast, Belfast’s Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO), to ensure that Visit Belfast’s 2024-2027 strategy ‘New Horizons for Belfast’, and its year 2 business plan 2025/26, aligned with the four themes of the Council’s ‘Make Yourself at Home’ tourism plan:

·        Grow the visitor economy in the Belfast city region in an inclusive and sustainable way;

·        Position the Belfast city region as a front of mind destination for leisure visits, business events and days out;

·        Enhance the Experience for visitors by showcasing Belfast city region as a diverse and welcoming destination with a unique neighbourhood offer, and;

·        Sustain its approach to championing sustainability, pioneering impactful initiatives, inspiring sustainable choices amongst visitors and clients and telling Belfast’s sustainability story.

            The representatives provided a summary of the 2024-2027 strategy ‘New Horizons for Belfast’, including growth targets and its key pillars.

            The Committee was presented with an update on the progress of year one of the strategy, 2024/25, including performance highlights, and the economic, social and environmental impact.

            In relation to the business plan for year two, 2025/26, Mr. Lennon provided the Committee with a summary of the policy and market context, advising that work had been done to ensure the plan and strategy aligned with existing strategies, such as the Belfast Agenda and the Department for the Economy’s Economic Vision and Tourism Strategy for Northern Ireland, in order that the actions of Visit Belfast delivered on the objectives of all policies.

            He summarised the outlook for 2025/26, including opportunities in relation to major events, strategy, investment and growth, and the challenges in relation to the economy, policy, infrastructure and experience.

            He outlined the focus areas for 2025/26:

·        Growing demand by leveraging major events and infrastructure;

·        Expanding year-round demand - shoulder season and midweek;

·        Capitalising on increased tourism demand for Belfast to spread benefits of tourism including into our city neighbourhoods;

·        Demonstrating sustainable leadership and innovation;

·        Promoting Belfast’s emerging luxury and premium offer;

·        Extreme collaboration across industry partnerships;

·        Driving growth and innovation through AI, digital and data; and

·        Developing our people and next-generation talent within Visit Belfast and across our industry.

            In respect of delivery, he provided the Committee with a detailed breakdown of the targets, outputs and approach in relation to marketing and communications, visitor servicing and destination management, business events and leisure trade.

            The representatives concluded the presentation by highlighting the economic impact of the 2025/26 plan, which would deliver £141 million to the city’s economy. It was further highlighted that the plan would place an equal focus on the economic, social and environmental impact.

            During discussion, the representatives answered a range of questions from the Members in relation to cruise ships, the impact of Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) on tourism, business tourism and conferences, inner-city connectivity, Airbnbs, and social media.

            After discussion, the Chairperson thanked the representatives for their attendance, and they retired from the meeting.

            The Committee:

                                      i.          noted the contents of the presentation;

                                    ii.          noted the draft Visit Belfast Business Plan for 2025/26 and that the overall funding requirement for Visit Belfast for the financial year 2025/26 had been taken account of in the revenue estimates that had been approved by the Council; and

                                   iii.          approved a funding allocation of £2,076,356 for 2025/26, subject to the development of a funding agreement, priority areas of activity and agreed targets.