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The City of Belfast will play host to delegates from all over the world at the Sister Cities international conference to be staged in July and August 2009, it was announced on 5th February. A group that includes Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau and Belfast City Council along with local ambassadors and other partners has secured the high profile event against stiff competition from destinations such as Calgary, Casablanca, Morocco and Mexico.
This is the first time that Sister Cities, which promotes partnership through town twinning between cities in the United States and other countries, has held its international conference outside the U.S.A. and the event, which is expected to make a contribution of around £2.5 million to the local economy is set to attract up to 1,000 delegates.
Gerry Lennon, Chief Executive of the Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau said, “I am delighted that this international conference has been secured for Belfast and Northern Ireland. A major factor in winning this conference has been the personal recommendation of a local ambassador, a tool which BVCB has shown to be very effective in the past through its Conference Ambassador programme. To secure such an important event with the potential for major economic impact, not only during the conference but through the links that it may forge with other cities across the world is very exciting. It will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase Belfast and raise the profile of the city and the rest of Northern Ireland as a business and leisure tourism destination.”
Representatives from the organisation’s International Head Office in Washington attended a reception in Stormont for the official signing of the convention contract.
Welcoming the representatives to Belfast, Councillor Alan Chambers, Chair of the Sister Cities organising committee thanked those who assisted in securing the conference saying;
“I am delighted that after many moths of work, the vision of bringing this prestigious international conference to the Province has become a reality. The prize could not have been secured without the help of all sectors of the tourism industry and the support of Local Government.
“I am especially grateful to Mark Mohan of Armagh and Down Tourism Partnership who shared my enthusiasm to capture the conference. I am very proud to have been able to win this conference for Belfast and hope that it will prove to be a stepping stone to entice more and more American tourists to come and visit us.”
Speaking at the contract signing, Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Jim Rogers added, “We are delighted to host the 2009 Sister Cities Conference in Belfast. Our connection with Sister City Nashville has a special significance and since the Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 1994, there have been many cultural, tourism and business development collaborations. Our forthcoming visit to Nashville in March 2008 to broaden the cultural tourism package aimed at the US market will have further impact on our tourism industry and has obvious economic benefits for Belfast. These news is yet another clear signal of the very positive contribution a Sister City relationship brings.”
After the conference, delegates will have the opportunity to take a week long tour of Northern Ireland, forging further links and exploring all that the country has to offer.
Alan Clarke, Chief Executive at NITB said, “This conference will provide a great opportunity to showcase our business tourism products to an international group of delegates, while also highlighting the range of leisure activities to be enjoyed in Northern Ireland.”
“It is an indication of our improving product that we are able to attract international conferences such as this, however we believe that there is massive potential for further growth in this area. We continue to work hard with our partners to maximise the potential of this important sector and establish Northern Ireland as a unique business destination.”
Joe Bryne, Head of North America, Tourism Ireland added, “This prestigious conference presents a real opportunity for the visiting delegates to experience not just Belfast but all that Northern Ireland has to offer. The North American market performed strongly last year, attracting over 1 million US visitors to the island of Ireland and we have ambitious targets again this year, aiming to increase numbers by a further 5% which would bring us to over 1.1 million visitors, a record number. Business tourism is a particular focus for Tourism Ireland in North America and we are delighted that the prestigious Sister Cities conference will take place in Belfast in 2009.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
