Dedicated Tourism Minister For Ireland

A leading travel operator has said Northern Ireland should have a government minister dedicated to tourism.

At present, tourism sits within the Department for the Economy.

The Belfast businessman Mukesh Sharma said that it should have a higher profile.

"We need a minister for travel and tourism and aviation and we need a budget for that department," he said.

"Other areas around Europe and around the world have that in their portfolio of ministers, Ireland they have an aviation minister and a tourism minister all rolled into one, the UK has one.

Tourism is the fluffy side of foreign investment and it requires a totally different mentality.