Managing Director at the award-winning Bishop’s Gate Hotel, and long-time Chamber member, Ciaran O’Neill has been appointed to the Board of Tourism Northern Ireland, bringing a breadth and depth of experience in tourism and hospitality, as well as a strong North West perspective to the Board.

Alongside his fellow board appointees, Aileen Martin, Linda MacHugh, Áine Gallagher and Colin Johnston we are certain Ciaran will champion the North West at the highest level and continue to drive tourism forward in the region, just as he has done with the renowned Bishop’s Gate Hotel.

Outside of his work with the Bishop’s Gate Hotel, Ciaran has also made significant contributions to tourism in Northern Ireland. Through his role on the board of Visit Derry for the past decade, and during his 14 year tenure on the board of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation, culminating in it’s presidency in 2016, we could not have hoped for a better person to represent the North West’s tourism sector.

The tourism sector in the North West is a critical part of the region’s economy, which can be easily seen and heard if you take a walk through the city during the Foyle Maritime Festival, our Halloween celebrations or the Jazz and Big Band Festival. The likes of these festivals are world famous and draw in people from every corner of the globe, increasing footfall and giving local business a welcome boost throughout the year.

Photograph courtesy of Foyle Port.

Although Ciaran will be ensuring the voice of the North West is heard through his role on the board at Tourism Northern Ireland, the Department for the Economy has also launched a consultation on a draft tourism strategy, meaning you too can express your views on this strategy. The draft Tourism Strategy outlines a 10 year plan to increase the value of tourism across Northern Ireland and can be accessed here: Consultation launched on draft Tourism Strategy (tourismni.com)