Successful tourism is powered by people

Article on behalf of Eimear Callaghan, Tourism Northern Ireland

The tourism industry of Northern Ireland is packed with exceptional people, people who make your day.

Our landscapes and attractions might be what initially brings people here, but our people are why they stay longer, return more often and recommend us to others. Some make five-star cuisine, others make mouth-watering cocktails, some make history come to life and others make sure the books are balanced at the end of the month. No matter the role, the people in our tourism industry are what makes it so successful.

We want as many of the right people to be at the forefront of our industry and so at Tourism NI, one of our core objectives is to encourage more people to consider whether a career in tourism is something that they can see themselves thriving in.

Tourism and hospitality support more than 70,000 jobs across Northern Ireland, accounting for around one in twelve jobs in the region. We are also incredibly proud of our inclusivity as an industry. We employ people of all ages, with 70% of jobs located outside of Belfast, demonstrating the ability that tourism, above all other sectors, has to flourish in all parts of the north. Similarly, of the near 6,000 tourism businesses here, the majority are outside the capital city.

The Economy Minister’s recently published Tourism Vision and Action Plan for Northern Ireland,maintains that regional balance of tourism poses a unique opportunity for the NI economy to utilise the industry’s offering for the good of all. The Action Plan states that investment in the tourism infrastructure and development of accommodation outside of the Belfast area will support regional balance and lead to wider geographical dispersion of visitors and more nights spent on trips. Over the next few years, NI is set to benefit from a package of investment from four City and Growth Deals with Government funding totalling £1.3bn with several tourism projects earmarked. With this investment imminent, it is an incredibly exciting time to consider a career in tourism.

Tourism has the potential to create substantial employment opportunities right across NI but there is still a lack of understanding about the unique and wide-ranging careers on offer, along with the long list of benefits that comes with working in the industry. Rarely found in other sectors, Tourism provides clear, structured pathways for school leavers into management roles, giving greater social mobility for many within both urban and rural communities. To help alleviate these obstacles, the Tourism Vision and Action Plan includes a plan to deliver a bespoke Skills Action Plan to address skills gaps and improve career pathways in tourism.

At Tourism NI, we have a number of initiatives to tourism businesses to become best-in-class employers and offer existing employees better training opportunities and career progression pathways, therefore boosting retention levels.

Make It Here

The tourism and hospitality sectors have faced significant skills shortages in recent years, especially in the wake of Covid-19. Carrying out nationally representative research in 2021, Tourism NI discovered that the top three most important aspects of a job for the public are job security, being valued and respected by their employer and being able to take days off when they want, within holiday allowance and with appropriate notice. However, the majority of the NI general public perceived these aspects to be absent from our sector.

The ‘Make It Here’ campaign, launched in March 2023, seeks to change perceptions of working in the Tourism & Hospitality industry by dispelling common myths and highlighting the commonly overlooked benefits of a career in this sector.

It emphasises the skills people already possess that make them suitable for a career in Tourism & Hospitality, whether they are new to the job market, considering a career change, or returning to part-time work after retirement.

The campaign has positively impacted employers, with many who took part reporting an increase in the number and quality of job applications. Additionally, it aims to help employers retain staff by reinforcing the benefits of working in Tourism & Hospitality, such as structured training, pay progression, and flexible hours.

Changing perceptions and behaviours does takes time though and the goal of ‘Make It Here’ is to gradually shift how the world views tourism and hospitality, ultimately improving long-term recruitment and retention within the industry. To date, the Make It Here website has welcomed over 100,000 unique visitors interested in finding out more about a career in tourism and hospitality with 70000 of those going on to view vacancies on recruitment websites.

The Make it Here website itself is packed with inspiration, information and opportunities for anyone considering a career in tourism and hospitality. On www.tourismni.com, a toolkit is available to help employers get involved in the campaign.

In a survey we carried out in November 2024 of 1,000 people, Tourism topped the polls for being an appealing sector to work in, and 60% of respondents felt that the tourism and hospitality sectors would grow as a provider of permanent jobs and career opportunities. The 18-24 and 25-34 age groups both saw increases in the appeal of the tourism sector a, whilst 25-34 and 35-49 age groups saw the largest increase in hospitality’s appeal vs March 2024.

Get Into Tourism

In partnership with Belfast Metropolitan College, we are working hard to develop pathways to encourage more people in join the industry. Get into Tourism is a free two-day course for those currently not working in tourism and with no experience in the sector. The course will provide participants with the opportunity to explore pathways and opportunities in the industry, and they will also gain a Level 2 qualification in the Principles of Customer Service for Hospitality and Tourism. The course will be delivered in-person on 10th and 11th March 2025. Registration is now live.

Employers Excellence Programme

Our research back in 2021 indicated that a twofold approach was required; firstly, to change the perceived negative perceptions of the industry, but equally important, to work with tourism employers in the sector to become best in class employers, delivering a positive employee experience.

Northern Ireland is full of businesses excelling in this journey already. Galgorm Collection and Titanic Belfast are both recognised as a Great Place To Work®, a recognised accreditation on workplace culture.Many other businesses within the tourism sector also deliver their own learning and development programmes with career progression at the forefront.

Tourism NI is now working with a cross section of tourism and hospitality employers to develop an Employers Excellence Programme, based on the successful Failte Ireland model. This initiative will help tourism businesses unlock their full potential by fostering a culture of excellence in the workplace. By placing a spotlight on employers our aim will be to ensure prospective employees see a rewarding and attractive place to work, and businesses can hire and retain the right-fit staff they need.

The vision for tourism over the next decade is a positive one but can only be achieved with a capable, engaged and skilled tourism industry. In Northern Ireland we have excellent people, ready to extend that giant welcome to visitors from near and far. We also have world-class attractions, experiences landscapes and events to bring tourists here. Coupling those two things together will support our tourism industryflourish for the benefit of all.