56 | THE LOCAL TOURIST


www.nitravelnews.com THE LOCAL TOURIST


Belfast-Based Film Charity Expands Globally with First Caribbean Partner


Belfast-headquartered Cinemagic


International Film and Television Festival for Young People is set to expand its international reach, with the launch of its first Caribbean short film academy in Barbados this month in association with the National Cultural Foundation of Barbados and the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust. Filming is currently taking place,


marking a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the youth film charity, a professional Barbadian film crew and 20 young people from across the island of Ireland. Founded in Belfast 37 years ago during


the Troubles here, Cinemagic has grown into the largest film and television festival for young people in the UK and Ireland. The project was


initiated following


Invest Barbados’ inaugural business and investment forum in Belfast last April, where film and location development were identified as priority growth sectors. After attending the event, Cinemagic Chief Executive Joan Burney Keatings MBE began discussions with senior representatives from Invest Barbados, the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) of Barbados, and Sandy Lane Charitable Trust. Over the past six months, Cinemagic


has been developing the script in collaboration with participants, mentored throughout the process by internationally acclaimed, award-winning screenwriter Maire Campbell. Joan Burney Keatings MBE, Chief


Executive of Cinemagic, said: “Cinemagic was founded in Belfast


to create opportunity and connection through film. Thirty-seven years later, that same ethos continues to shape our international work. “Barbados represents an exciting and


strategic new chapter. This is not simply about producing a short film. It is about working in partnership to build skills, capacity and a sustainable creative pipeline for young people.


April/May 2026


“WE’RE SETTING A BENCHMARK IN BELFAST”: The Bedford Hotel Opens to Guests


THE long-awaited Bedford Hotel has announced it is opening ahead of schedule, officially opening its doors on Wednesday 8th April 2026. Originally set to open for bookings in May, the accelerated timeline comes as a result of an intensive


“We have seen in Northern Ireland


how investing in young creative talent can contribute to long-term sectoral growth. By collaborating with experienced Barbadian industry professionals and local partners, we are supporting the development of practical skills and real- world production experience that can open doors for the next generation.” All funding for the Barbados project has


been secured locally, thanks to support from the National Cultural Foundation of Barbados and Sandy Lane Charitable Trust. This funding will enable the charity to engage 20 young people: 10 students from Barbados Community College studying film and media through the institution’s Mass Communication programme and 10 students from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment’s Digital Media Programme. Carol Roberts, Chief Executive Officer


of the National Cultural Foundation of Barbados, said “The National Cultural Foundation is


delighted to partner with Cinemagic on this project, as it fits quite seamlessly with our developmental programming in Film. It is a great example of cultural diplomacy at work and will provide yet another creative conduit for the dissemination of Barbadian storytelling seen through the imaginative lens of our young people.”


McKeever Hotels Pilot Programme to Overcome Hospitality Sector’s Staffing Challenges


MCKEEVER Hotel Group is gearing up for a bumper summer season following the implementation of an innovative new workforce planning programme. The group, which runs seven hotels on the island of Ireland, has partnered with workforce development expert – People 1st International – to help bolster its approach to recruitment and retention ahead of the sector’s peak season starting in May. In doing so, McKeever becomes the first NI tourism and hospitality business to adopt the Six Steps Methodology to Integrated Workforce Planning – a HR approach originally pioneered by the NHS. Group HR Manager Kristine Graham explains the move, “Like many hospitality businesses, we have an abundance of workforce data at our fingertips, but we weren’t always making best use of it. “What the programme has enabled us to do is to make informed decisions faster and create more opportunities for staff to develop and progress.” The four-week implementation programme provided the business with practical tools to align staffing with demand, design roles around evolving service models, strengthen


internal mobility and progression and anticipate skills gaps before they become critical. Graham continued, “Ensuring that we have the right skills in place to deliver excellent guest experiences is vital as we gear up for our busiest period of the year.” Roisin McKee, Director of Northern Ireland at People 1st International, led the implementation programme, and says that Six Steps will support the family business to build on its foundations as an employer of choice in the sector: “In a sector facing persistent recruitment challenges, changing workforce expectations and rising cost pressures, aligning workforce decisions with business performance is crucial People are at the centre of delivering first class guest experiences and so workforce decisions in hospitality tend to affect service delivery and financial performance more acutely.” Adopting a more strategic approach supports hospitality businesses to be less reactive and avoid the need to embark on a costly recruitment drive in the run up to peak season.


meticulous quality-control measures to ensure the 82-bedroom hotel meets the highest international standards of luxury and safety. The project represents a significant


final construction phase. The multi- million-pound restoration of the Grade B1 listed Scottish Mutual Building has seen teams working night and day to bring the 1904 Scottish Baronial-style property back to life. While the booking date has


been brought forward, the hotel leadership has emphasised that no corners are being cut. Ahead of the first guests arriving in April 2026, the building is undergoing


investment by RFM Hotels in the city centre, creating over 100 new jobs and revitalising one of Belfast’s most distinctive vacant heritage sites. Following its recent opening, Senior Editor


Sarah Pickering caught up with General Manager Mike Gatt to find out what guests can expect from the newest hotel on the scene. “I have been a Belfast lad all my life


and I’ve worked in the hospitality industry, again, almost all of my adult life.” explains Mike. “Walking past this building for years, it


has always been a landmark building in the Belfast area and I’ve worked in various


US Comes to NI: Tourism NI Launch 250 Experience Development Programme


TOURISM Northern Ireland has launched an experience development programme aimed at creating new visitor experiences which highlight the island of Ireland’s connections with the US. Funded by the Department for Communities


USA-NI250 Scheme, the new experiences will focus on the period immediately before and after the signing of the US Declaration of Independence in 1776 and tell the stories of the key figures from Northern Ireland. The America 250 Experience Development


Programme has been launched to tie in with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence which takes place this year. The experiences will be place based,


culturally rooted and reflect diverse cultural narratives, including Ulster-Scots, Scotch- Irish, and Irish contributions to American history during the late 18th Century. Initial ideas include music, craft, industrial


and farming heritage, food and drink, emigration, signatories to the Declaration of Independence – of which five had had direct Ulster family connections- and the genealogy of US presidents. During the session, the attendees received


support about how to craft a saleable brand-aligned experience and getting market ready.


they also had the opportunity to take


part in one-to-one appointments with the programme facilitators – Paula McIntyre, chef, Colin Urwin, storyteller, Sharon Scott, Place and Destination Marketing expert, and Liz Steele, Culture and Heritage Tourism Manager at Tourism NI. Going forward, those taking part in the


programme will also receive mentoring, take part in site visits, and explore market testing. It is hoped the new experiences will be ready by the end of May.


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