tourism report
Tourism’s recovery and growth
John McGrillen, Tourism NI Chief Executive.
Tourism NI Chief Executive John McGrillen looks at the impact of the Covid-19
successful roll out of the vaccine programme, could see the industry bounce back quickly.
pandemic on the tourism sector and discusses the sector’s future prospects post-pandemic.
Tourism NI has invested approximately £25 million on delivering supports to the industry, in addition to the supports offered by the Executive. The Chief Executive outlines that the organisation has had to be agile in its response.
McGrillen admits that the pandemic has dealt a huge blow to an industry, which was riding high after a record breaking 2019 where revenue surpassed £1 billion for the first time and the hosting of the Open elevated Northern Ireland’s status as an attractive destination. Forecasts suggest that income for the industry in 2020 may have fallen by as 82
much as 48 per cent and it may take to the end of 2022 to reach 80 per cent of 2019 levels, with a fuller recovery not expected before 2024. “The road back is challenging but we are confident we can negotiate it successfully,” says the Chief Executive, who believes that putting in place the right support mechanisms, alongside the
McGrillen highlights that a lot of Tourism NI’s work in the past year has been directed at supporting the industry “to stay afloat”, as well as preparation for safe and successful reopening.
“We have been on a similar learning curve to many others, discovering how to make partnerships work in an online environment and finding new and innovative ways of doing business and connecting with our industry,” he says. Research globally shows that there is significant pent-up demand to travel. Combined with accumulated savings many households have as a result of the lockdown, the research also shows that when people are able to travel, they will be willing to spend more and stay longer.
