Multi-million pound boost for Bushmills
Thursday, 24 July 2008
Arlene Foster, Minister for Tourism and Economy, with Mayor of Coleraine, Cllr David Barbour, and representatives of Invest NI, Coleraine Borough Council and the Coleraine Borough Chamber, at the unveiling of a major expansion plan.
The tourism industry in the North Coast has been given a major boost with the news that the Bushmills Inn Hotel will be tranformed in a major development scheme worth £2.7m.
Economy Minister Arlene Foster unveiled the expansion scheme in a visit to the North Antrim hotel on Tuesday, July 22.
The development will create 20 new jobs and upgrade the hotel to four-star status, in what its owners claim will be the first on the Causeway Coast.
The plan will create an additional 19 over sized guest bedrooms consisting of one suite, three Junior suites, four duplex guest rooms, on two levels and 11 guest rooms reflecting the increasing demand for accommodation in the area.
The development will also incorporate a new reception hall, a 'Garden Room' extension to the restaurant and the conversion of the 10 original Coaching Inn rooms to two new executive conference rooms and staff accommodation.
Invest Northern Ireland has offered £480,000 towards the project, which will see staff numbers increase to over 70.
The Minister said: "It is encouraging that international interest in Northern Ireland is high, with the past 12 months seeing significant progress in the number of visitors coming here. There has been an overall 28% increase in holiday visits, with particularly strong performances from Europe and the USA.
“We must take full advantage of this, and cater for the needs of the growing volume of foreign visitors. With world-renowned golf courses and tourist attractions nearby, the Bushmills Inn Hotel will be well placed to capitalise on the demand for quality, four-star accommodation."
The Minister believes that while tourism contributes strongly to the Northern Ireland economy, there is much potential yet to exploit.
She said: "Northern Ireland tourism has been set a major challenge over the next three years. Key targets in the Executive's Programme for Government include increasing the number of tourists visiting the region from 1.98 million to 2.5 million by 2011 and increasing tourism revenue from £370 million to £520 million.
“By enhancing the visitor experience, through such measures as improved accommodation and customer service, we can entice visitors to stay longer and, ideally, return in the future.
“The extensive improvements to the Bushmills Inn Hotel, and similar investments in our tourism sector, serve to showcase Northern Ireland as a world class location for tourists, and will ensure that future business opportunities can be fully exploited."
