Local firms to take part in New York tourism event

Derry City Tours, Airporter, Hastings Hotels and Drenagh Farms will all take part in what is being billed as a major showcase for Northern Ireland tourism.

Tourism Minister Arlene Foster along with the Culture Arts and Leisure Minister, Nelson McCausland, will travel to New York for the opening of a week-long celebration entitled ‘EXPERIENCE Northern Ireland - TITANIC & MORE.’

Arlene Foster will also meet with leading American business tourism contacts and promote investment opportunities.

The exhibition, from 24 to 29 September, has been organised by Tourism Ireland in association with National Museums Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau.

It will be attended by leading airlines, travel trade, media and corporate contacts from the New York and tri-state area.

Speaking in advance of the exhibition, the Tourism Minister said: “Millions of New York commuters and visitors to the city will get a taste of what Northern Ireland has to offer as a unique and vibrant tourism and business tourism destination. The exhibition will showcase the very best of Northern Ireland culture, music, entertainment and food.”

The exhibition will be a packed schedule of events, featuring top Northern Ireland performers with more than 50 partners attending, including top chefs, musicians, craft workers and tour guides.

Arlene Foster added: “Tourism is now one of the most important indigenous industries in Northern Ireland and plays a chief role in our export economy. In the period 2002-2009, overseas tourism contributed over 2.1billion to the economy of Northern Ireland.

“During the current difficult economic period Tourism Ireland has embarked on a specific Northern Ireland marketing programme highlighting gateway cities with direct access, such as New York.”

Musical entertainment will be provided by Peter Corry, Kintra, Kabosh, the McPeake Family and others. Food will feature strongly as acclaimed chefs Noel McMeel and Neven Maguire will bring the best of Northern Ireland culinary expertise to New Yorkers.

There will also be a full programme of lectures, story-telling and other performances highlighting the many aspects of our unique Northern Ireland culture.

Representatives of the tourism industry will bring the different counties of Northern Ireland to life for visitors to the exhibition.

Culture and Arts Minister Nelson McCausland added: “This celebration includes many unique aspects of Northern Ireland culture and I hope that millions of New Yorkers, as well as visitors to this great city, will get a flavour of the real Northern Ireland as they pass through Vanderbilt Hall.”

Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “With up to 750,000 commuters passing through Grand Central Station each day, this event is a fantastic opportunity for Tourism Ireland and our partners to promote Northern Ireland as a world-class tourism and business tourism destination in the major gateway city of New York.

“In the run-up to 2012, Tourism Ireland is planning an extensive series of promotional events to keep Belfast, Northern Ireland and Titanic in the international spotlight and to encourage Americans - and other overseas visitors - to come and see where the whole story started.”

The ‘EXPERIENCE NORTHERN IRELAND - TITANIC & MORE’ exhibition takes place 24-29 September, in the Vanderbilt Hall of Grand Central Terminal, in New York.