Justification for overnight visitor accommodation in Belfast

Improving the supply of overnight accommodation is vital for encouraging visitors to stay in Belfast to experience its visitor attractions and business offer. The council has invested in the extension of its conference facilities at the Waterfront Hall, which can accommodate up to 2,000 delegates, and is promoting the city as a major conference destination to attract business tourists. There has also been a growth in the number of leisure tourists on short city breaks throughout the year. The city centre with its supporting infrastructure, makes it an attractive location for overnight visitor accommodation, where tourists can easily walk from their overnight accommodation to the conference venues or visitor attractions. The increased tourism footfall would strengthen the day and night time economy creating added vitality and vibrancy in the city centre. This would support the hospitality sector in the city centre as higher levels of overnight visitor expenditure contributes more to the city's economy. Overnight accommodation outside of the city centre should be appropriately located within tourism clusters to support existing visitor attractions, leisure and cultural facilities. This would ensure that overnight accommodation outside of the city centre would be easily accessible to a regular public transport service.