A new hotel has opened in Enniskillen ahead of next year’s G8 summit.

The £825,000 Fermanagh development is expected to create 33 jobs over the next two years.

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster opened the Enniskillen Hotel, a development by Damiraco Ltd.

Invest Northern Ireland has offered Damiraco £99,000 of support towards the project through its Jobs Fund.

The 35-room hotel is being developed from the former Fort Lodge Hotel.

Arlene Foster said: "The opening of a new hotel in Enniskillen is exceptionally well timed, in that it will offer additional quality accommodation well ahead of the G8 Summit next June. This high profile event will showcase Fermanagh to a global audience and make an important contribution to grow tourism in Northern Ireland to a £1bn industry by 2020.

"In addition to the important services the new Enniskillen Hotel will offer visitors, the development will provide quality employment opportunities and lever additional salaries of around £489,500 for the local economy. It will also offer substantial business opportunities to other local supplies in sectors such as food and drink, tour operators and transport."

Michael Cadden, Damiraco Director, said: "The decision to develop the new Enniskillen Hotel was influenced by our experience gained from the successful development of Lusty Beg. We saw an opportunity to provide a hotel in the centre of the town that would offer excellent accommodation and restaurant services to both visitors and local people.

"It’s our intention to continue to develop the hotel and services over both short and long terms. This commitment has also been influenced by the priority status of the Northern Ireland Executive and Fermanagh council to drive local economic growth by focusing greater resources on promoting the county as a genuinely global tourism centre."

(IT/GK)