Tourism NI’s enterprise programme set to speed up post-Covid recovery

The programme will start in November and Tourism NI is encouraging businesses and organisations to sign up early via Tourismni.com.

The programme is part of Tourism NI’s commitment to support the industry and will offer advice, encourage growth and provide guidance on health and safety issues.

Lesley Ann O’Donnell, head of programmes at Tourism NI, believes that the Tourism Enterprise Development programme represents a valuable opportunity for every business in Northern Ireland’s tourism sector to accelerate its recovery post-pandemic.

She said: “It will be providing support and advice across a whole range of issues all of which are crucial for businesses seeking to speed-up their recovery after Covid.”

The programme has five main themes, each one with a particular reference to the specifics of the tourism sector. These are; performance & competitiveness, market retention & diversification, people skills & capability, sustainable tourism and digital skills & innovation.

“We see enterprise development as a major part of our mission at Tourism NI,” continued Lesley Ann.

“Right now, our role is to support Northern Ireland’s tourism industry in its recovery from the impact of Covid-19. We want to ensure that the industry regains its position as one of the most successful sectors of the Northern Ireland economy. Our aim is that the region will succeed as an internationally competitive destination, renowned for world-class 3-5 day breaks. This programme will be helping to make that vision a reality. It’s full of expert advice from people on the ground in the sector.”

Philip Stacey of Footfalls Walking Tours is a previous attendee: “Tourism NI are the ones bringing the trends in the outside world to us at ground level in Northern Ireland.”

Michelle Harding of Jamaica Inn agreed: “We think it’s great to see Tourism NI taking such a hands-on approach and bringing people in who can talk about things that are relevant to our business.”

Anita Kirkpatrick of Shamrock Cottages attended the Tourism Enterprise Development programme in 2019: “It’s opened up lots of ideas for me. I’ve been taking notes on things I should improve upon, opportunities in social media, improving my website, lots of great things. I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Lesley Ann added: “That’s what the programme is here for. It’s all about helping businesses to understand what the market opportunities are, where they can maximise on those opportunities and how they can do it, especially now, post-Covid.”

The main strand of the programme will feature a series of live webinars. Details for each will be online and people can register their interest to learn more about each weekly event. The following events have been confirmed, with further dates to follow;

1. Digital Innovation and Productivity, November 11

2. Sustainable Tourism, November 18

3.GB Market Review, November 23

For full details on all the TED events and features, sign-up to Tourism NI’s mailing list at www.tourismni.com. The Industry Business Hub on tourismni.com also provides expert guidance and all the latest materials. This resource continues to grow and is tailored specifically to the tourism sector.

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