Titanic Belfast opens new events space Hickson’s Point
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ickson’s Point, a new shipyardthemed hospitality space at Titanic Belfast, has opened its doors.
Inspired by one of the first ship builders in the city, Hickson’s Point will offer an authentic 1900s public house setting, combining traditional music, entertainment, heritage décor and locally-produced food for visitors to the world-leading tourist attraction. It will also cater for a range of private and corporate events for up to 80 people. Last year, Titanic Belfast was crowned the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction, experienced its busiest day to date, as well as significant growth from key markets. Judith Owens, Titanic Belfast’s Chief Executive, believes 2018 will be a strong year and in preparation has transformed the annex space, adjacent to Titanic Belfast, into its newest hospitality space. “With increasing visitor numbers coupled with the global awareness of Northern
Hickson’s Point is the latest development to Titanic Belfast’s premier event suites, alongside its two other venues, SS Nomadic, the last remaining White Star Line vessel and 6,000 metre square Titanic Exhibition Centre.
Titanic Belfast's head of business and leisure sales Laura Cowan and chief executive Judith Owens launch plans for Hickson’s Point
Ireland’s incredible hospitality offering, we have invested in Hickson’s Point, an authentic setting which will enhance both our visitor experience and event offering,” Judith said. “Not only will its shipyard fare build on one of the most popular themes in our galleries for visitors, but it will appeal to corporates, incentive travellers and tour operators for an array of events from breakfasts, drinks receptions to themed dining.”
Titanic Belfast’s events have gone to strength-to-strength over the past six years. It has hosted over 2,000 business and leisure events including G8 Summit Reception, BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Giro d’Italia Big Start and conferences across an array of sectors including Routes Europe 2017, European Federation of Animal Science to the World Conference of Credit Unions. It has also served guests including Her Majesty The Queen, Titanic director James Cameron and Presidential Candidate and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. It has more exciting events in the pipeline, including the recently announced BBC’s Biggest Weekend in May. For more information, visit www.titanicbelfast.com. ■
Hotel chiefs warn of staffing problems in Northern Ireland n industry body has warned that the recent surge of hotels in Northern Ireland could create problems in finding staff.
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Federation, said: “The STR figures for 2017 show a good overall performance which builds on the recovery experienced in the second half of 2016.
The Hotel Federation latest figures show unprecedented growth for the hotel sector but the lack of skilled personnel coupled with a poor image of the roles within the industry are resulting in less applicants.
“The influx of new hotels may result in some rate deflation but it is important to maintain a balance between striving for occupancy and maintaining an average daily rate.
In the past year, hotel occupancy rates in Northern Ireland have hit 77.7%, with the hospitality sector looking ahead to a promising 2018. In 2017, Belfast had the best performance with occupancy breaking the 80% mark and room rates growing to an average of £79.83. This marked increase can bring both challenges and opportunities for the region. The figures from hotel information company STR showed that occupancy for Northern Ireland in 2017 increased by 2.9% compared to the previous year.
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Janice Gault
Sarah Duignan, Director of Client Relationships at STR, said: “Hotels in Northern Ireland performed quite well in 2017. “The market still has room for growth, and there will likely be a period of adjustment ahead as existing hotels adapt to the added competition of new properties coming online. “Taking comparable destinations that have experienced similar growth patterns into consideration, Northern Ireland should be able to absorb new hotel supply relatively quickly, with minimal impact on perfromance.” Commenting on the figures, Janice Gault, Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Hotels
“The data indicates room sales in 2.3m bedrooms sold throughout the year contributed £175m to the local economy with a VAT contribution of £35m. “Despite considerable growth in the Northern Ireland market, room rates remain comparatively low when you look at the ROI market. In 2017, Dublin had an average room rate of €136.80 and regional Ireland came in at €125.95.” She added: “There are a number of challenges for the industry but staffing remains the primary cause for concern. We know that employers are experiencing issues with recruitment and retention of staff.” ■