UKHospitality chief executive visits Northern Ireland to hear directly from sector and policymakers

(L-R) Michael Cadden, Chair, Hospitality Ulster; Allen Simpson, Chief Executive, UKHospitality; Colin Neill, Chief Executive, Hospitality Ulster; Colin Johnston, Vice Chair, Hospitality Ulster

UKHospitality Chief Executive Allen Simpson visited Northern Ireland this week for a series of meetings with hospitality leaders, political representatives, senior civil servants, and financial institutions.

The two-day visit, which took place on Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 September, was organised by Hospitality Ulster and provided an opportunity for Simpson to hear directly from businesses about the opportunities and challenges facing Northern Ireland’s hospitality and tourism sector, while strengthening links between the two organisations.

Simpson, who became Chief Executive of UKHospitality in June 2025 after joining the organisation as Deputy Chief Executive in 2024, met with Hospitality Ulster representatives and leading industry figures at a stakeholder roundtable in Belfast before attending a dedicated discussion on business rates.

The programme also included a briefing with senior officials from the Department for the Economy and Tourism NI, a cross-party lunch with members of the Assembly’s Economy Committee, and a financial institutions briefing hosted in partnership with BDO NI.

Businesses highlighted the particular pressures facing Northern Ireland’s hospitality sector, including the 20% rate of VAT applied to hospitality, the impact of business rates, rising employment costs, recruitment and retention challenges, and the wider cost pressures affecting the viability of businesses and their ability to invest.

With hospitality businesses operating in an environment of rising costs and continued uncertainty, discussions also focused on the need to create conditions that support investment, protect jobs, and enable businesses to contribute fully to the wider visitor economy.

Colin Neill, Chief Executive of Hospitality Ulster, said the visit provided an important opportunity to ensure the experience and concerns of Northern Ireland’s hospitality businesses are reflected in the wider UK sector conversation.

Simpson’s visit follows a period of significant change for the hospitality industry across the UK and comes as businesses continue to navigate a range of cost, workforce, regulatory, and investment pressures.

The visit concluded with a financial institutions briefing, bringing together representatives from leading banks, lenders, investment organisations, and property specialists to discuss the financial environment for Northern Ireland’s hospitality businesses and the barriers and opportunities around future investment.

Simpson’s visit forms part of Hospitality Ulster’s ongoing engagement with industry stakeholders and policymakers to promote the contribution of hospitality to Northern Ireland’s economy and communities.

Allen Simpson, Chief Executive, UKHospitality, said:

“It was important for me to visit Northern Ireland and to have the opportunity to meet so many people who are working to support and grow our sector.

(L-R) Mike Nesbitt MLA; Pádraig Delargy MLA; Allen Simpson; Phillip Brett MLA; Diane Forsythe MLA

“Hospitality is a vital part of communities and local economies across the UK, and Northern Ireland has a particularly strong and distinctive hospitality and tourism offering. It is important that we understand the issues businesses are facing on the ground and make sure their experiences inform the work we do at UKHospitality.

“Businesses here are dealing with a combination of significant pressures, from the 20% VAT rate and business rates to rising employment costs, recruitment challenges, and the wider cost of doing business. These pressures affect not only the day-to-day viability of businesses, but also their ability to invest, create jobs, and support the communities and visitor economy on which so many places depend.

“This visit is also about building stronger relationships. By bringing together businesses, policymakers, politicians, civil servants, and financial institutions, we can have constructive conversations about what needs to change and where there are opportunities to unlock investment and growth.

“Following our discussion with the sector, I look forward to continuing our work with Hospitality Ulster and its members to ensure hospitality continues to have a strong voice at UK level.”

Colin Neill, Chief Executive, Hospitality Ulster, said:

“The hospitality sector across Northern Ireland are operating in an exceptionally challenging environment, with the 20% VAT rate, business rates, rising employment costs, and other operating pressures all placing significant strain on businesses. Despite this, our sector remains ambitious, resilient, and determined to grow.

“Allen’s visit provides a valuable opportunity to bring together industry, government, politicians, and the financial sector to discuss these challenges directly and to look at where we can work together to create the right conditions for sustainable growth.

“The competitive pressures facing Northern Ireland are particularly important given our proximity to the Republic of Ireland, where hospitality businesses benefit from a lower VAT rate on food. Alongside the rates system, employment policy, access to finance, skills, and investment, these issues all have a bearing on the ability of our businesses to compete and grow.

“It is important that the unique circumstances facing Northern Ireland are understood at UK level. We are pleased to welcome Allen to Northern Ireland and look forward to continuing to work with UKHospitality to ensure our sector has a strong voice and that the contribution of hospitality to our economy, communities, and wider visitor economy is recognised.”