Belfast on the road to ‘World Host City Destination’

Businesses within the hospitality and tourism sector are being urged to back a campaign to make Belfast a ‘WorldHost City Destination’.

Belfast City Council and Invest NI are supporting the campaign to achieve the worldwide industry standard of excellence. Practical support to improve customer service standards and increase competitiveness is being led by Destination Belfast, with financial support from the European Regional Development Fund.

Destination Belfast has already started strengthening the sector through business development and improvement workshops, master classes and mentoring, and the appointment of local Tourism Champions.

Urging everyone to become involved the Lord Mayor, Councillor Nichola Mallon, said: “With Belfast being firmly recognised as a year round destination for business and leisure visitors we want to ensure that their experience and the service received is world class.”

“Being a WorldHost City destination will enable local businesses to showcase the best the city has to offer and send a clear message of commitment, care and excellence to our visitors,” she added.

“This latest initiative to achieve WorldHost City Destination status builds upon our famous warm welcome and allow us to receive the recognition our city deserves. I want all our city champions to get behind this wonderful initiative to keep Belfast on the global map.”

WorldHost has been used to train over 200,000 customer facing staff at events ranging from the 2012 London Olympics to the upcoming Commonwealth Games. Staff at Belfast Castle and Malone House have also been accredited with the industry standard.

Kerrie Sweeney. Titanic Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Titanic Quarter, one of Belfast’s greatest success stories in recent years recognises the importance of customer service standards across the city and we are delighted to have achieved our very own ‘Hotspot Status’.

“We continue to champion WorldHost as it is a practical and cost effective tool to develop our people and in turn our tourism offering,” said Ms Sweeney.

The appointed project delivery agent, Fáilte Feirste Thiar’s Executive Director Harry Connolly, said: “We look forward to rolling out the WorldHost campaign in partnership with all our stakeholders and especially those businesses at the coal face of developing Belfast’s fantastic visitor offer.”

“WorldHost will help to raise both our customer service standards and expectations. Our city and local business can only benefit from achieving this industry recognition – Belfast deserves it,” he added.

For details contact Chartered Marketer Christine Watson, Watson & Co. Chartered Marketing
visit: www.watsonsmarketing.com/events, email: info@watsonsmarketing.com or call us on 028 9066 1139.