Archibald reappoints members to the Board of Tourism Northern Ireland
Date published:
Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald has announced the reappointment of two members to the Board of Tourism Northern Ireland.
Linda MacHugh and Ciaran O’Neill have been appointed to serve as members from 8 August 2026 for a period of up to three years.
The appointments have been made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland Code of Practice.
Notes to editors:
- Pen picture – Linda MacHugh - Linda recently retired after 18 years as a senior civil servant, during which she held a number of positions. These positions included Director of Urban Regeneration Policy, Principal Private Secretary to the First Minister, Director of Water and Drainage Policy, and Director of Corporate Support Services in the Department for Infrastructure (DfI). She also led the Local Government Reform Programme and was Acting Deputy Secretary in DfI. Prior to joining the Civil Service, Linda worked to support the textiles and clothing sector as Director of the NI Textiles & Apparel Association and the Irish Linen Guild. She also spent eleven years as a Trustee of the Meningitis Research Foundation. She currently holds no other public appointments.
- Pen picture - Ciaran O’Neill - With a career spanning over 38 years in the hospitality sector, Ciaran O’Neill is a graduate of the Northern Ireland Catering College, Portrush. Currently, he is Managing Director at the Bishop’s Gate Hotel Derry, an award-winning establishment opened in 2016. Beyond his professional achievements, Ciaran has made lasting contributions to the industry landscape. A decade of service on the Board of Visit Derry reflects his dedication to promoting tourism and its growth. His 14-year tenure on the Board of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation culminated in his role as President in 2016. Ciaran’s dedication extends to nurturing future talent in the tourism sector through his previous roles as Chair of the Hospitality and Tourism Skills Network (HATs) and his commitment to Education as Chairperson of the Board of Governors at St Cecilia's College for 7 years. He currently holds no other public appointments.
- Remuneration for the post is £6,272, non-pensionable, with additional days remunerated accordingly for Chairs of the Sub-committees. Members are eligible to claim allowances, at Northern Ireland Civil Service rates, for travel and subsistence costs necessarily incurred on official business.
- Tourism Northern Ireland (TNI) is the trading name of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB). NITB is a statutory Non-Departmental Public Body originally established under the Development of Tourist Traffic Act (NI) 1948. Its constitution and continuation were affirmed in the Tourism (NI) Order 1992.
- All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland and in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations requires the political activity of appointees (if any declared) to be published. Neither of the appointees have carried out any political activity in the past five years.
- The Department also recently advertised for new members to the Board of Tourism NI. The competition closed on 14 Aug. The process is ongoing and an announcement on appointments will be made in due course.
- For media enquiries contact the Department for the Economy Press Office
- The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.
- To keep up to date with news from the Department for the Economy, follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.