Minister Shares NI Tourism Message With Tour Operators

The scenery that inspired CS Lewis was among the images shared with travel agents in Abu Dhabi today as part of the drive to encourage more international tourists to visit Northern Ireland.

Speaking to around 100 tour operators who attended the Tourism Ireland event, Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Arlene Foster said: "From the awe inspiring landscape of the Mourne Mountains to the rugged coastline of the north coast and Dunluce Castle, Northern Ireland has so much to capture the imagination of tourists from the United Arab Emirates and beyond.

"As Minister responsible for tourism, it a great privilege to promote Northern Ireland ýon the world stage and I'm pleased to say progress is being made, with tours to Northern Ireland now being offered in UAE brochures.

"Our cooler climate means we have lush, green scenery and it is this, together with attractions like the Giant's Causeway, Gobbins Path and Titanic Belfast, to name but a few, that give Northern Ireland standout on the international stage. And while we may complain about our weather, our long cooler summer days mean it is the perfect destination for people living here in the Gulf who want to escape from the intense summer heat."

Arlene Foster added: "The phenomenal success of Game of Thrones and the success of our Major winning golfers has brought global recognition of 'brand Northern Ireland' to a whole new level.

"We are continuing to build on this momentum. Filming is well underway for season five of Game of Thrones and the eyes of the world will be on us once again when we host the Irish Open later this year and in 2017, not to mention The Open Championship before the end of the decade."

(CD)