A celebration of the very best in tourism and hospitality will take place on May 30th at the Waterfront Hall, Belfast.
The Northern Ireland Tourism Awards, organised by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board in association with Diageo Northern Ireland, will showcase recent success and a high profile year for the industry, as well as looking forward to the opportunities in 2013 with the UK City of Culture, World Police and Fire Games and G8 Summit.
2012 has been a hugely significant year for tourism in Northern Ireland, dominated by world class events and activity surrounding the ni2012: our time, our place campaign which included the opening of Titanic Belfast, the new Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre and a sell-out Irish Open.
There are 11 award categories in total this year with two new categories for 2013 – ‘Customer Service Excellence’ and ‘Best ni2012 initiative’ and NITB is encouraging organisations and businesses of all sizes to apply.
Aine Kearney, NITB Director of Product Development said, “The ni2012 campaign helped to move tourism to a new level in terms of profile, economic impact and self-belief as the spotlight shone on Northern Ireland for all the right reasons. Now is the time for organisations to celebrate their achievements throughout this significant year by entering the tourism awards.
“The awards will offer businesses the opportunity to review their performance and identify their core strengths. For those who win it is an independent and prestigious endorsement of their organisation and the quality of their products and services,” she said.
“Everyone at NITB is looking forward to a wonderful night of rewarding excellence and celebrating the industry’s achievements,” she added.
Michael McCann, Country Director of Diageo Northern Ireland said, “At Diageo we are committed to working with NITB and our other industry partners to drive visitor numbers throughout Northern Ireland and leave a lasting legacy for the growth and development of tourism.
“In Northern Ireland we have an unrivalled reputation of being great hosts, ensuring that those who visit us have a great experience and it is important that the people, places and organisations that make such a valuable contribution to our tourism industry are recognised and rewarded.
“At Diageo we are proud to support the Northern Ireland Tourism Awards and we are passionate about positioning Northern Ireland as a great location to visitors both at home and abroad,” he added.
This year’s Northern Ireland Tourism Awards gala ceremony will take place in Belfast’s Waterfront Hall on Thursday 30th May 2013. The evening will be a glittering celebration of tourism success over the past year with a sit-down gala dinner and entertainment showcasing local talent.
To enter visit www.nitourismawards.com and download the relevant entry form for your category. The closing date for entries is noon on Friday 1st March. For further information contact the Northern Ireland Tourism Awards event team on 028 9044 6292 or email NITA@mci-group.com