Debate contribution: All-Ireland Tourism

Debate contribution by Mr David Honeyford on 18 June 2024.

MLA

Mr David Honeyford

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

18 June 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

All-Ireland Tourism

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4497289

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Alliance believes in better: breaking down division and working for a shared future are what drive us. In a tourism context, that means attracting more visitors and greater spend into our economy. With 83% of visitors coming to this island through the South, we, collectively, should work hard to remove barriers — any and all barriers that are within our power to remove — that prevent us from attracting more of those visitors to the North. We should also be working to encourage a rebalancing on the island of the connectivity in order to bring more visitors to the North. In the previous debate, I talked about the infrastructure and improving it to bring better links across Northern Ireland. That would rebalance the connectivity and attract more people here directly. The UK's ETA is a major risk to our tourism industry, which generates only 5·6% of our GDP — half of what it should be. If we are to match other regions, a solution to how the ETA operates here needs to be found quickly. I encourage the Minister —.

I am not sure whether that was an intervention for me. I will leave Steve to —.

Cheers. I know that the Minister has spoken about that, and I would appreciate it if he came back on it as soon as possible. Tourism is an area of our economy that we can grow quickly, starting by removing the barriers that we inflict on ourselves. We only have to watch the TV to see that the Euros are on. We should have a Minister banging the door down in Downing Street to make sure that we are involved in delivering the Euros in 2028. We have the opportunity, and we have everything sitting for us to capture not only the Euros in 2028 but other events thereafter. The fact that we seem to be happy to let that opportunity be missed is absolutely disgraceful. As an Assembly, to help this place, we should be arguing and fighting for the delivery of the Euros. I said in today's earlier debate — it is important to repeat it in the context of tourism — that Alliance aspires to enhance North/South economic cooperation, bringing shared economic opportunities across the island of Ireland while, equally, supporting trade with GB, which remains our biggest market. To drive economic growth and, in this case, tourism numbers and spend, Alliance believes that we need to better connect this island. I chatted about that in the previous debate. Yes, we have two jurisdictions and two currencies, but the key to attracting tourism and tourists here is to make the visit North as easy and as natural an experience as possible. We should be confident in ourselves, maximise our sell and encourage spend in the North through our attractions and by removing even the subtle barriers that are in the way. Last week, the Economy Committee heard from experts about those barriers. The DUP amendment says stuff, but Phillip said something very different in the Chamber, and I disagree with him on that. I look at what we have to visit here, and it is really special. As mentioned, we have world-famous historic sites, and it is a region that we live in and enjoy. Marketing our home and our people, rather than trying to include something different from an overall campaign for international visitors, is what will attract. We need simple, consistent branding. The DUP amendment slightly misses the point of the motion, but, equally, does not take away from it. Phillip, however, said something very different. He talked about our unique branding. I say in slight jest that the amendment does not include our branding; it misrepresents it. The branding is, "Embrace a Giant Spirit", which I actually had to google, but the amendment says, "Embrace a Giant". Therefore, the branding may not be as effective or as easy for the DUP to remember as it said it was. When you want better, follow the professionals and give them a brief. As any sales executive will tell you, keep the message simple and consistent, and maximise your sell to the world. Let us keep politics out of this and work to improve our economy. Let people's imagination tell the story. We should ensure that Northern Ireland is included, covered and well promoted in the package. The Wild Atlantic Way is branded, and visitors come to it from around the world. When I think of the Wild Atlantic Way, I think of the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry and the beaches in Donegal, each of which is a destination in its own right. It seems crazy that the Wild Atlantic Way offering does not also include the Giant's Causeway and the north coast. On the way, people would see Downhill, Portstewart and Portrush. It is about simple, consistent branding. That is the key to getting international visitors. The Ancient East would include my constituency of Lagan Valley, and what is not to like? It would attract more visitor spend in the local bars, shops and restaurants. How can we market the Ancient East but not include the Mournes or Belfast, or, in Lagan Valley, the Georgian village of Hillsborough, which has the only royal castle on this island? It would be remiss of me not to mention the Maze, which is next door, and we should be moving on with developing that site. Selling our assets to the world and using them as an economic driver for tourism is of benefit to all. Growing that 5·6% of GDP and pushing it to 10% is what we should be aiming —

— for, and we need to get on with doing that.

954 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 10:38 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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