Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to increase tourism between Northern Ireland and the West Midlands.

Tourism is a transferred matter for the Northern Ireland Executive, with the Department for the Economy and Tourism NI leading on supporting tourism in Northern Ireland. However, the UK Government recognises the importance of supporting this vital industry for the Northern Ireland economy and of increasing tourism between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, including the West Midlands.

Through the Union Connectivity Review, the UK Government is looking at how to further support transport links in Northern Ireland and between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Strong transport connections are important for our economic growth, and the Government is committed to further connecting our towns, cities and communities across the UK, which will boost tourism.

The Government has already taken action to support air connectivity across the UK and following its commitment to review Air Passenger Duty (APD) in January 2020, and as announced at the Budget on 27 October 2021, the Government introduced a 50% cut in domestic APD in April 2023 to bolster air connectivity within the UK and make flying from the West Midlands and elsewhere to Northern Ireland even cheaper.