TOURISM BENCHMARKING VISIT TO EDINBURGH

PRESS RELEASE

25th January 2007

The Northern Ireland Tourist Board, in partnership with the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation, is behind a unique benchmarking opportunity for hotels and guesthouses in Northern Ireland. The event takes place this weekend (28th to 30th January) and will give participants an opportunity to meet operators in Edinburgh and learn about their experiences.

The aim of the visit is to expose a group of family run and independent hotel/accommodation operators to a range of successful accommodation products developed and run by Scottish entrepreneurs. A wide range of products will be on show to highlight the importance of product diversity and product differentiation.

NITB’s Chief Executive, Alan Clarke says; “This benchmarking visit to Edinburgh follows last year’s successful trip to the Cotswolds where participants gained advice and ideas which they were able to use upon their return to Northern Ireland. This is an excellent chance to further improve industry quality and provides an invaluable opportunity for networking and relationship building.”

NIHF President, Adrian McLaughlin is delighted that the venture is taking place for a second year. Mr McLaughlin commented, “The opportunity to see the best hotels in Edinburgh is a great way for our members to spot trends and gain valuable insight into a more mature market. Everyone in the industry is keen to ensure we continue to provide an excellent product and benchmarking against international standards is a vital part of that process”

The programme involves site visits to some of Edinburgh’s most successful hotels and will feature talks by several leading hospitality professionals from Scotland. Workshops will focus on areas such as tourism innovation, market trends, the impact of the smoking ban on hospitality in Scotland and also the challenges facing small hotels in today’s market.

ENDS

For further press information contact Louise Carson on 028 9066 3000 or the NITB press office on 028 9044 1644