February 2024 ...CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE


Page 16-20: Discover Asia. From China to Taiwan, Thailand to Bali, and everywhere in between!


Page 23-25: :Check out the newest ship on the block: Icon of the Seas!


Page 36-38: Hopping off a cruise ship for the day? Here’s the ultimate port cities to check out


Page 56: Take a trip down the Ards Peninsula


Northern Ireland Travel Agents) Chairman Damian Murphy has said the organisation will contact government officials as a matter of urgency in regards to the blurred lines for which department the industry would fall into, if a similar situation was ever to occur. During the covid period, the organisation bid for financial support from the Government as restrictions in place meant travel had grind to a halt, putting a risk of cutbacks and closure at the door of travel agents. “I feel that we have unfinished business Stormont


with and there are some


questions I would like to ask them,” Damian Murphy of ANITA said whilst speaking with Northern Ireland Travel News.


“I will certainly be asking where the second covid grant we almost got, went to and can this be resurrected. I know what the answer will be but I am going to pose the question anyway, pointing out the challenges still faced by our industry.” ANITA had previously been in talks with


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NI Travel News was in attendance at Holiday World Show Belfast over the course of Friday 19 January to Sunday 21 January. At Holiday World Show Belfast, the


NI Travel News Team had a host of competitions up for grabs including our stand competition which was to ‘Guess The Amount of Coffee Beans’ in collaboration with Ground Coffee.


The lucky attendee who guessed closest to the jar’s total contents of beans would be in with a chance of winning a Ground Coffee Goodie Bag which includes: - £10 gift card - Box of Brownies - Bag of Coffee Beans - Enamel Cup - Ground Candle - Ground Soap Bar


The total amount of Ground Coffee Beans in the jar was 5189! The results are in and the winner of Holiday World Show Belfast Ground Coffee Stand Competition with a guess of 5183 beans is ELAINE LOUGHLIN.


CIANTS Basalt Rock Gin, distilled in Northern Ireland, has landed at Belfast City Airport’s World Duty Free store. The gin, which is inspired by the dramatic coastline of Northern Ireland and will be available


for purchase to all passengers,


represents World Duty Free’s commitment to championing local producers. Martha Garbe, Director at Basalt Distillery, commented: “We are excited to work with Belfast City Airport and World Duty Free to deliver our products to a global audience and are greatly encouraged by the positive feedback we have received since the products landed on the shelves.


“By showcasing Giants Basalt Rock Gin at Belfast City Airport, Basalt Distillery will capture the attention of a diverse audience, including tourists who are eager to


experience the essence of Northern Ireland. “The bottle itself is a work of art, designed to resemble the hexagonal stones of the Giant’s Causeway, and it is this attention to detail and innovation that helps set us apart. “The airport’s prime location and high footfall make it an attractive destination for showcasing this unique gin, and by strategically positioning Giants Basalt Rock Gin at Belfast City Airport, we can effectively capture the interest of both gin enthusiasts and curious travellers.”


Giants Basalt Rock Gin is produced by Basalt Distillery, which was established in 2020 with an emphasis on creating a sustainable distilling process through state- of-the-art technology.


To find out more about Giants Basalt Rock Gin, visit basalt-distillery.com


the then Economy Minister, Gordon Lyons and had discussed financial support. This however, did not make its way to travel agencies across there country as the DUP removed itself from Stormont, collapsing the government and entering a two year stalement which froze funding for all sectors, including travel. He continued: “My Letter will be directed to the new Economy Minister Mr Connor Murphy and I will be seeking written clarification that our sector going forward will in fact be part of this department. It feels that we are back where we started with this question but I feel going forward it’s vital that we know exactly who represents us within government and who we can turn to for help in the future. I would ask that as many people as possible contact their local MLA asking them to approach the Economy department on our behalf and ask for answers to the above two questions. We should at least let them know that we are still here and are not ready to be pushed aside again.” ANITA’s push was fuelled by the slow reaction of the government to help this


WINNER OF GROUND COFFEE COMPETITION ANNOUNCED


www.nitravelnews.com sector, despite internal tourism and


hospitality receiving necessary grants during their same period. The return of Stormont is hoped to earmark a new start for outbound travel and a deep understanding of the lives involved in this sector, by the government, to ensure the industry is not left in the dark in the future; The sector has witnessed a hard-hit in terms of staffing levels and hughstreet shop closures form the beginning of the pandemic.


The news has also be praised by the hospitality


sector


here in Northern Ireland,


restaurants, investments


as new hotel and


outdoor eateries have boomed with public support. Hospitality Ulster’s CEO Colin Neill has outlined the organisation’s three point plan which will empower the industry, in line with UK Hospitality, whilst also revitalising the economy here in Northern Ireland. In a statement published to Hospitality Ulster’s website, it outlined that ‘The first pillar of the plan, Growth, focuses on stimulating growth by advocating for a lower rate of VAT for the hospitality sector’. In doing so, the UK chancellor would be encouraging growth through the hospitality sector, with a reduced cost to the public, which would


help businesses tackle rising


costs without inflicting the cost onto the general public and therefore an increase in usage for hospitality services would be seen; Heightening the economy at a temporary cost for the government initially, with the chance to level off in the coming months with the public’s increase expenditure.


Point two covers the importance of investment, with a reduction of business rates to be considered. ‘Root and branch reform of business rates have long been promised yet remain the biggest barrier to investment in the high street. We need a permanent, lower rate multiplier for hospitality, leisure, and tourism.’ Says Neill.


Hospitality Ulster is calling for this to


CONTENTS | 3


be formed into targeted support within the Treasury for NI, and not just placed within the ‘budget black hole’; Until the reformation of the government, NI Secretary of State Chris Heaton- Harris had insisted that funds were a devolved matter and therefore the UK or Irish government were unable to step in and help the services requiring funding. ‘We need support that will give businesses more control and flexibility over how funds are spent, support recruitment development,


and with an


overarching aim of fostering a skilled workforce that can meet the evolving needs of the sector.’ Insists Hospitality Ulster.


After a long-fought two year hiatus and several demands in place, including the DUP’s


Seven Point Plan, the deal that has now been agreed highlights important steps for the travel industry here in Northern Ireland, both inbound and outbound and what a potential future will look like. One of the key takeaways from the DUP leader Jeffery Donaldson’s pre- agreement conversations is the promise of UK-US talks in regards to pre-clearance in Northern Ireland. With the unique stance of Northern Ireland within both the UK and Ireland, pre-clearance from Belfast International formed part of the agreement now signed off by both the NI executive and UK government, to begin talks with the US government about this potential. Although an exciting sign for inbound and outbound travel in Northern Ireland, there is no indication into how far away this inclusion may be as there are currently no transatlantic flights departing from the country. With government finally back up and running, promises and ‘we will do’’s will be at the forefront of, not only the travel and hospitality industries minds, but also the NI public and what can now be done with access to more funding; Having representation for the country in both the UK and Irish governments sets up a hope throughout the province that all voices will be heard and listened to. Time will tell what this means for 2024 and beyond.


GIANT ARRIVAL AT BELFAST CITY AIRPORT AS BASALT DISTILLERY LANDS AT WORLD DUTY FREE WITH GIANTS BASALT ROCK GIN


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