Tourism NI has been holding a series of `Innovate Tourism’ workshops across Northern Ireland, finishing up at the Game of Thrones Studio Tour in Banbridge recently. Among those participating were east Belfast located Titanic Belfast and Titanic Distillers. The interactive workshops aim to demonstrate how innovation is key to business growth, while also increasing awareness and knowledge about what innovation means in a tourism context.

In addition, the workshops advised businesses how to embed innovation in day-to-day operations, creating value and enhancing the visitor experience.

Businesses were also provided with advice and guidance, including what funding support is available to help generate new ideas to grow. Tourism NI is hosting the workshops in partnership with Innovate NI.

Eimear Callaghan, Head of Experience & Industry Development at Tourism NI, said the workshops have been a "great success".

"It was wonderful to bring our industry together today to discuss and explore innovation and how it can benefit their businesses," she said.

“Innovation is one of the key pillars of our draft Tourism Strategy and is key to staying competitive and relevant in the ever-evolving tourism landscape.

"The businesses who took part learned about how innovation can drive growth, improve efficiency and can help them exceed customer expectations.

"They also had one-to-one access to experts, who were able to offer advice and guidance on how they can equip themselves with the tools they need to boost innovation in their businesses.”

Paul O’Callaghan, Manager of the Innovate NI programme at Invest NI, said: “Tourism has an important role to play in shaping Northern Ireland’s innovation landscape and ensuring the sector continues to thrive in an increasingly competitive market.

"Tourism businesses attending these workshops will learn how to use our innovation framework to embed innovation within their business, ensuring they stay relevant, competitive and enjoy continued success.”