Northern Ireland's Economy Minister meets Canadian travel leaders in T.O.

Building business links

Delegation sets sights on NI tourism recovery

Minister Gordon Lyons recently met with key travel industry leaders in Toronto in a bid to further boost Northern Ireland’s tourism industry.

The promotional activity formed part of a wider Team Northern Ireland trade mission led by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Jonathan Bell.

The delegation met with representatives from Air Canada, WestJet, Norwegian Air and Transat, as well as travel agents and tour operators.

The Minister highlighted the importance of the tourism sector to the Northern Ireland economy, which is worth £1 billion annually and supports over 50,000 jobs.

He also outlined the key tourism products and experiences that Northern Ireland has to offer, including its stunning scenery, world-class golf courses, rich history and culture.

The Team Northern Ireland trade mission to Canada is the latest in a series of promotional activities aimed at boosting tourism from key international markets.

In recent months, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment has also undertaken promotional activity in the US, China and Europe.

The Minister said: “We are committed to growing and developing the tourism sector in Northern Ireland and we believe that Canada represents a key growth market for us.

“We have a great deal to offer Canadian visitors, from our stunning scenery to our world-class golf courses and our rich history and culture, and we are confident that this trade mission will help to further boost tourism from Canada.”

The Team Northern Ireland trade mission to Canada is supported by Tourism Ireland, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Invest NI.