As being discussed on Radio Ulster’s TalkBack today, the NI Affairs Committee has published its report on Tourism in NI. It’s a lengthy report but the immediate focus is likely to be on the recommendation about where a National Stadium should be sited. Hint, it’s in line with the Secretary of State for Wales’ comments.. but not the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland’s.. Chairman Partick Cormack commented on the government’s preference for the Maze site – “The government is wrong.”From the report [pdf file]
120. We note Northern Ireland’s growing success as a conference venue, and in particular Belfast’s success in hosting a number of high profile conferences. However, the market for international conferences is extremely competitive, and we understand that Dublin is in the process of developing high quality conference facilities. We urge the Northern Ireland Tourist Board to work closely with the Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau to identify what support is necessary to ensure that Belfast continues to be competitive as a location for conferences.
121. We believe that development of a National Stadium could provide the much needed exhibition space, as in Cardiff, which is required to attract major conferences to Belfast. Apart from the sporting and economic arguments in favour of locating the National Stadium in the city we believe that there would be considerable tourist advantages from such a decision.
The reports conclusions and recommendations can be found here
Discover more from Slugger O'Toole
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.