To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail (i) what other completed or planned visits by foreign travel agents have been facilitated by Tourism NI, further to that with representatives from the Indian travel agent sector; and (ii) how the success of such visits can be assessed.

Tourism NI, working in partnership with Tourism Ireland, undertakes an extensive programme of fact-finding or familiarisation visits for tour operators and travel agents from around the world, so that they can experience the superb tourism product in Northern Ireland for themselves at first-hand. The objective is to increase awareness of Northern Ireland among influential travel professionals, to help Northern Ireland secure a greater share of their business, and to ensure that they can sell the destination to their customers with more enthusiasm and authority when they return home.

During 2022 so far, Tourism NI has welcomed tour operators and travel agents from various global markets.

In addition to the Indian familiarisation visit to which you refer, Tourism NI hosted 65 tour operators in March 2022 on a programme of 5 familiarisation trips right across Northern Ireland as part of Tourism NI’s annual flagship travel trade event, Meet the Buyer.

In May, Tourism NI facilitated a week - long familiarisation trip for the Education Travel Consortium’s Executive Advisory Council. The Council members include senior travel planners from nonprofit educational travel providers, and US tour operators.

In September, Tourism NI supported 4 operators from the Gulf Cooperation Council market to promote luxury products and experiences in Northern Ireland to target their high-net-worth clients. In addition, earlier this month, Tourism NI welcomed a further 4 separate familiarisation trips for 48 travel agents from Australia/New Zealand, Austria, Belgium & Canada.

Next month, planned familiarisation visits will include 23 travel agents from the Canadian and Spanish markets. November will also see Tourism NI once again host the ITOA (Incoming Tour Operators Association of Ireland) Workshop which will take place in County Fermanagh.

There will be 2 familiarisation visits associated with the event which will see approximately 50 operators taking in products and experiences across Northern Ireland.

The success of activity with the travel trade overseas can be measured by increased awareness and knowledge of Northern Ireland; increased programming of the destination in the tour operators’ programmes and brochures; and by increased bookings.

Tourism NI in partnership with Tourism Ireland, conducts an evaluation of all such activity. The feedback is invaluable for informing product and industry development activities by Tourism NI, but also in gauging the future impact of the programme. In 2022, a survey of buyers who had attended Meet the Buyer familiarisation trips indicated that:

•97% said the visit would encourage them to promote NI to their clients

•95% said it would allow them to better programme NI

•97% said they will increase programming of NI in future as a result of the visit.