Responding to comments by the outgoing head of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board TUV Castlereagh East councillor Andrew Girvin said:
“TUV has long argued that Northern Ireland is getting a poor deal from Tourism Ireland. In January last year, for example, Jim Allister pointedly asked the tourism Minister if she believed Northern Ireland’s tourism promotion and interests are best served by being a subservient part of Tourism Ireland and argued that we would be better standing on our own feet.
“The comments of the outgoing head of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Alan Clarke, are therefore no surprise to TUV.
“Marketing Northern Ireland as a standalone destination, particularly when it comes to people coming over for short breaks from Great Britain, makes sense. Visitors from the rest of the UK are, apart from anything else, spared the hassle of having to change their currency before coming over.
“Having to market the island of Ireland as a single destination simply doesn’t make add up and it is obvious that taxpayers in Northern Ireland are being ridiculous short-changed when one considers that we put up 1/3 of the money to run Tourism Ireland and yet Northern Ireland is only getting around 10 – 11% of the holidaymakers.
“Northern Ireland has a fantastic tourism product to sell if it wasn’t encumbered by the shackles of Tourism Ireland – a politically contrived body. The success of our golfers has also presented us with a unique marketing opportunity.
“I remain convinced that Tourism Ireland isn’t up to the job of delivering for the Northern Ireland tourist industry and needs to go along with all the other useless North-South bodies.”