Tourism NI has, 11 December, launched two events funding schemes to support the local events industry in Northern Ireland.
The 2018/2019 events funding programme will consist of the international tourism events fund and the national tourism events sponsorship scheme and is designed to drive visitor numbers, increase spend in the local economy and raise the profile of Northern Ireland as the home of great events.
The two schemes will run concurrently.
Aine Kearney (pictured) Tourism NI director of business support and events, commented: “Northern Ireland has a proven track record as the host of many world-class events… By encouraging visitors to stay longer and spend more, festivals and events act as positive economic and social drivers and they continue to be recognised within Northern Ireland’s tourism strategies and plans.
“The competition for events funding is always competitive and funding will be awarded to events that present the greatest level of return for Northern Ireland’s economy.”
The international scheme is designed to support homegrown international tourism events and is currently open for applications while the national events sponsorship scheme will support events that contribute to a specific geographical area of Northern Ireland and opens for applications on 18 December 2017.
Tourism NI will host a range of workshops to help guide event organisers on the application process, detail required when applying to the scheme throughout December. To book a place or speak to a member of the events team, visit www.tourismni.com/events
