In 2019, tourism in Northern Ireland was a successful £1bn industry, employing 65,000 people. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect right across Northern Ireland. The economic impact has been felt most acutely by the tourism and hospitality sectors.
The recent pandemic means your customers expect a better digital experience.
While online booking was gaining in popularity before the pandemic, it is now almost a core requirement of doing business. Your customers expect to book online.
Tourism NI has set up a Website Development Programme to help providers like you to develop or enhance their online presence, whilst providing financial assistance to do so. This may cover a wide range of support including search engine optimisation, booking engine development, provision of the right content and use of the right tactics to capture sales.
What can Fourteen Forty help you with?
As the digital agency of choice for many businesses and organisations within the tourism industry, we can assist you with any digital problem you may be facing. We have been helping businesses within the tourism sector for 15 years through development of websites, integration of booking systems and implementing digital marketing strategies to drive an audience to your business.
But the best thing we can do is to help you think about what would be best for your business in a digital world. We live and breathe for this so we can ensure you maximise the support available from this incredible funding opportunity.
What assistance is available to you?
Through the programme, we are able to assist you with website or digital-related projects. This includes:
- Building new websites
- Upgrading existing websites
- Improving SEO and Digital Marketing
- Implementing booking engines, and making it easier for customers to book your services
- Creating content like images and videos
- Mobile optimisation
Why we should be on your list of people to help you
For the last 15 years, we have been helping businesses within the tourism sector. We’re currently in the final stages of testing for Tollymore National Outdoor Centre (TNOC) and their new website. They have gone through a complete transformation of their digital presence. With careful consideration for how their customers want to interact with TNOC we’ve created a brand new website, re-built a booking system that previously caused as many problems as it solved and focused on how a buyer wants to interact with the TNOC website.
These core changes to TNOC’s website and digital platforms allow them now to focus on future marketing efforts and are exactly what TNI has identified as opportunities to strengthen experience providers through this fund.
What do you have to do?
- To take part in the scheme, you must first email tds@tourismni.com to check eligibility.
- If you’re eligible, speak to us. Make sure you are using this grant to the fullest potential and then complete the Expression of Interest form.
- If you’re successful through this stage TNI will then audit your website and move you on to the next stage which will include a formal application, again which we can be on hand to offer support or assistance in the application process.
Expressions of interest must be received by 21st August at 3pm
Tourism Northern Ireland’s supporting document can be found here, it’s a short read and explains the fund and process in more detail.
What can you do today to help make a difference?
Talk to us, ask us questions, see what we think would make sense for your business.
With grants of up to £40,000 the money and our experience could make a huge difference to your business.
