Holiday-at-home voucher scheme needs more money

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

A holiday-at-home voucher scheme will need more money behind it to stop people from missing out, said a tourism body.

As part of this proposal, vouchers will be given on a priority basis. However, there will be a limited number og vouchers available.

The Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance (NITA) said that the draft £2m budget would need to be increased to avoid disappointment.

The Department for the Economy said that officials are still thinking about the scheme’s appropriateness.
Vouchers will also be given away, offering 50% off on visits to attractions or tourism experience providers, up to the value of £20.Every household can apply for one of each type of voucher.

NITA chief executive Joanne Stuart said, “£2m has been allocated to this scheme and we do believe the demand will be high and a lot of people will be disappointed, so we would ask the minister to consider the funding he has and whether there is more available to the scheme.”

Stuart added, “This is not just support for the accommodation sector and tourism attractions. When people stay in a destination, they spend money in hospitality or retail so there would be much more in terms of a wider economic benefit.We believe this is a really important intervention for the accommodation and attraction sector and we are working with the department and the minister with regards to when this needs to be launched.”

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