Note: this publication may not reflect verbatim delivery by Minister Murphy.
Good morning everyone, I am delighted to be here to officially open Meet the Buyer 2024.
I’d like to offer as we say in Ireland “cead mile failte” or "one hundred thousand welcomes" to those of you who are visiting from overseas.
I know many of you have been here since Saturday and I hope you enjoyed the ‘fam trips’ which Tourism NI organised to showcase what’s on offer.
If you have been on one of the trips you will understand when I say that promoting the North of Ireland as a tourism destination it is one of the easier parts of my job.
Tourism is a very important sector of our economy. It provides employment right across the North, and supports local businesses by bringing visitors to hotels, shops, and restaurants.
All of you contribute to these economic benefits, whether you are providing visitor experiences, accommodation or transport, or if you are a tour operator bringing your valuable customers to Ireland. As the Economy Minister I very much appreciate the work you all do.
I would like to thank Tourism NI and Tourism Ireland for organising this Meet the Buyer event. I am proud of the way our three tourism agencies work together to showcase every part of Ireland as a wonderful place to visit.
In recent times we’ve been promoted on screens across the world with shows like Game of Thrones; highlighting the beauty of our landscape from South Down to North Antrim, and Derry Girls; bringing the spirit of Derry and its people into living rooms all over the world.
Over the past five years we have seen an explosion in new experiences which allow visitors to explore our magnificent landscapes and enjoy our rich cultural heritage.
Our coastline, lakelands and mountains, like Slieve Gullion in my own constituency, are the perfect locations for activity tourism, experiencing authentic rural Irish life and bringing Irish myths and legends to life.
Our cities also have their own unique stories to tell. In Belfast and Derry you can explore their industrial, cultural and political heritage with a visit to Titanic Belfast, a ride in a Black Taxi Tour, a walking tour of Derry’s Walls, or a visit to the Museum of Free Derry.
And of course there is the great food and drink scene, vibrant music, and thriving evening economies that makes our cities such special places to visit.
This Meet the Buyer Event is an opportunity to connect international tour operators with the Irish tourism industry.
Every business you meet here today will have its own unique story to tell which you will be able to share with your customers.
70,000 people work in the tourism industry, which means there are 70,000 people to meet and 70,000 unique stories for you to hear.
So I hope you all have a very successful event today.
I understand that tomorrow evening many of you are off to join our colleagues at Failte Ireland in Killarney for the southern part of your venture at Meitheal.
I wish you a safe onward journey and I hope that you continue to make the North a key component of your itineraries, that you bring your customers here more often, and that they stay longer when they get here.