Visitor numbers fall, but revenue up

The latest tourism figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) have revealed a one per cent increase in the number of visitors coming to the province in the period between April 2013 and March this year. The revenue flowing from those visits is also up by nine per cent to £538m.

In the first quarter of 2014, the estimated number of overnight stays was 0.9 million – a two per cent increase on the previous year – and the revenue yield was up 10 per cent to £134m, but taken across the whole period of the report, overnight stays were down by one per cent to 4.1 million.

Year-on-year, the number of overnight stays booked by Northern Irish residents fell by three per cent over the period of the NISRA report and there was an 18 per cent fall in the number of stays by visitors from the Republic.

GB visitor numbers were up though by one per cent to 2.06m, bringing a nine per cent increase in revenue to £538m.

The NISRA Tourism Statistics Bulletin estimates that 0.43m million rooms were sold in hotels, bed and breakfasts, guesthouses and other accommodation during the first quarter of this year – a rise of five per cent on 2013.

Over the same period, one cruise ship docked in Belfast with up to 750 passengers and 300 crew on board. No cruise ships had docked in Belfast during Q1 2013.

Commenting on the statistic, Esmond Birnie, chief economist with PwC in Northern Ireland said that they suggested that the Executive’s plans for tourism growth were still “broadly on track”:

“This improvement in revenue generation can be partly attributed to recent investments in major attractions and events and was delivered despite a strengthening of sterling,” he added. “At the same time, visitor numbers – particularly from the Republic – were down, suggesting that there are still challenges in promoting Northern Ireland as a visitor destination, even to our nearest neighbours on the island.”