Tourism Northern Ireland hosts innovation roadshow in Newry

The workshop, which was tailored to tourism and hospitality businesses across Northern Ireland, was the final workshop in a series of three which have been taking place around the region this week.

Part of Tourism Northern Ireland’s `Innovate Tourism’ programme, the aim of the workshops was to show businesses how to embed innovation into day-to-day operations, creating value and enhancing the visitor experience.

In addition, the roadshows, which were facilitated by Jacqueline McCann, from Roll Innovation, also demonstrated how innovation is key to business growth.

Today’s attendees, who included accommodation providers, visitor experiences and tour guides, also heard from Tessa Ann Greer, from The Sound Healing Spa, who shared her innovate tourism story.

Tourism Northern Ireland hosted the workshops in partnership with Innovate NI, a Department for the Economy NI initiative, which is delivered by Invest Northern Ireland in partnership with local councils and further education colleges.

Following a first series of similar innovation roadshows earlier this year, more than 30 businesses successfully reached stages of the Innovate NI programme and were presented with certificates signed by Economy Minister Conor Murphy at a special recognition event.

Carolyn Boyd, Industry Development Manager at Tourism Northern Ireland, said: "These roadshows aimed to help and support the sector continue to thrive in an increasingly competitive market. Innovation is key to staying competitive and relevant in the ever-evolving tourism landscape.

“Tourism is a regionally dispersed industry with more than 70% of tourism businesses and supported jobs located outside Belfast so therefore innovation workshops in areas like Newry are crucial to driving the positive impact of tourism.”

Dr Vicky Kell, Director of Innovation, Research & Development at Invest Northern Ireland said: “By equipping businesses with the tools and insights they need to innovate, we empower them to thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape."