Key stakeholders from Northern Ireland’s tourism industry gathered at the Roe Park Resort , Limavady yesterday (10th May), to ‘drive home’ the economic importance of tourism for the region at the inaugural ‘North West & North Coast Tourism Symposium’. Having recently undergone a major rebrand as part of a £2.5 million investment strategy, the Roe Park Resort further marked its commitment to the economic development of the North West and North Coast by hosting the tourism symposium, bringing together stakeholders to share knowledge and discuss how the region can capitalise on the major events taking place in the area and build a legacy beyond 2012/2013. During the symposium delegates heard from the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Arlene Foster, MLA; Mr Alan Clarke, NITB Chief Executive; and Garbhan Downey, Communications Manager from the Culture Company 2013. During a valuable networking session delegates also got the opportunity to share insights, problems and ideas on the future of tourism and its effect on the region. Speaking at the event, Tourism Minister Arlene Foster said: “Challenging commitments have been set in the NI Executive’s Programme for Government to grow the tourism economy. I want to stimulate the greater engagement of the tourism sector with local people. By doing so, we can create the conditions needed to meet our Programme for Government commitments and draw many more visitors to Northern Ireland. “If we get it right – and I am confident that we can and will do – tourism has the potential to contribute £1 billion to Northern Ireland’s economy by 2020, doubling the contribution it makes today, attracting 4.5 million visitors, up from 3.5 million today, and creating thousands of new jobs across Northern Ireland.” Geoffrey Conn, Roe Park Resort Board Member, added: “At the Roe Park Resort we are committed to doing our part to develop the tourism offering in the North West and North Coast and believe that we now have a unique opportunity to show the world what we have to offer in this part of Northern Ireland. With plans to invest an additional £600,000 in upgrading all remaining bedrooms and further development of the Spa we hope to capitalise further on these rising tourism figures. ”