The North's tourist industry has not suffered due to the events of September 11th or the foot-and-mouth crisis, according to latest figures. Announcing the figures the North's Enterprise Minister, Sir Reg Empey, said visitor performance in 2001 had remained similar to that in 2000 with almost 1.7 million tourists coming to the North and overall tourism revenue increasing by 4 per cent in real terms.

Sir Reg was addressing the Northern Ireland's Tourist Board's 12th annual Tourism Marketing Workshop at Belfast's Waterfront Hall yesterday, which was attended by a record number of international tour companies. In all, 170 tour operators from 23 countries, including Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Japan and South Africa, met more than 200 delegates from the North's tourist industry.

Sir Reg insisted that tourism in Northern Ireland could look forward to real growth and increasing confidence in the coming years.

"Tourism in Northern Ireland has never been in a stronger position to achieve real growth," he said. "International tour companies are finding out about Northern Ireland's best kept secret and, hopefully, when they return home they will become ambassadors for our tourist industry and spread the word about the quality of our product and the variety of activities we have to offer to international travellers."

According to the figures, visitors from Britain increased by 11 per cent in 2001, while those from the Republic fell by 4 per cent, with visitors from the European mainland decreasing by 16 per cent and those from North America by 31 per cent.

There were 10 per cent fewer visitors who came for the purpose of holidaying in the North, but 4 per cent more visiting friends and relatives and 8 per cent more business visitors.