6. Market research

When you have clearly articulated your tourism product and selling proposition, you will need to establish if your tourism product “fits” in today’s competitive tourism market and can become a viable sustainable business. This will require you to carry out in-depth market research. Keep an eye on changing trends in the tourism industry and to see which trend resonates both for your business and for your type of customers i.e. customers are becoming more concerned about sustainability and the environment.

Economic and legislative trends also have an influence on your business and in turn - your customers. For example, how would a significant change in currency exchange rates impact on your regular customer base? Or how would a change in legislation open new opportunities or, conversely, limit your tourism product? By keeping up to date with current affairs, trade press or e-newsletters you can generally keep informed on any key trends.

Key Considerations include:

• Look at current market and customer trends to identify if there a demand in the market place.
• Carry out a competitive analysis to establish if there are other similar products/how does it compare strengths and weaknesses.
• Consider your geographical location to ascertain the accessibility/fit with other tourism businesses and identify any opportunities to cluster and collaborate
• Establish your products fit with NI Experience Brand. 

The internet is a valuable resource of information in the development stages, giving you quick and easy access to this type of information.

Your local Council will also be a valuable source of support, the local tourism and economic development departments should be your first point of contact. Each Council area in Northern Ireland has different structures and approach to tourism development. The key details and contact information for each of the 11 Councils is available here.

Council Information 

• Tourism Strategy / Profile / VA Survey
• Related Strategies i.e. Food & Drink, Outdoor Activity
• Tourism Engagement - Key Contact Details
• Business Support Engagement - Key Contact Details
• Structure of Tourism (how it relates to other departments)
• Business Start Info
• Specific Covid Business Support Programmes
• Support Helpline Number (if applicable)
• Request Business Support email link (if applicable)
• Tourism Cluster – info, links and contact details

Tourism NI and Tourism Ireland also provide detailed information through business insights and market profiles.

Key sources include:

NI Tourism statistics and performance trends

These figures include NI annual and quarterly tourism performance, tourism industry barometers, accommodation statistics, visitor experience surveys. Available here.

Tourism Ireland industry opportunities

www.tourismirelandindustryopportunities.com

Other Business Support and Funding Opportunities

There are a number of government departments/agencies which can assist with the development of your tourism product and could potential offer financial support and professional expertise. These include your local college and University, DAERA Rural development programme if you live in a rural area, the Department for Communities (DfC) if your business is in a town or village. If you are interested in clustering the Invest NI Collaborative Growth is a good place to start or one of the DAERA programmes.
Your local Council contact can update you on what is relevant to you in your area. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these sources

Visitor Attitude Surveys

Understanding the needs and attitudes of visitors to Northern Ireland can play a vital role in helping to create an exceptional visitor experience. Insights into visitor attitudes also helps us to better position Northern Ireland to compete in a global marketplace. Tourism NI regularly commission Visitor Attitude Surveys to gain an insight into leisure visitors’ overall Northern Ireland experience, as well as their attitude towards each stage of their visitor journey (from trip planning to eating out, accommodation used and attractions visited).

These reports provide insights into how tourism businesses can improve their offering based on the needs of our visitors. 

Consumer Sentiment Survey

The Consumer Sentiment Survey is particularly important to recovery planning in light of the Covid-19 pandemic as it outlines visitor’s propensity to travel, key considerations and what they are looking for.