Mr Murphy unveiled a 10-year plan on Wednesday for increasing spending by overnight visitors from £1.2bn to £2bn, an increase of two-thirds.
But the industry will also be fighting the impact of the Home Office’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, introduced last week. It requires international visitors to the UK to have an additional permit.
The plan was unveiled by the Sinn Fein Minister at the Titanic Quarter, home of one of NI’s most visited attractions, Titanic Belfast.
It’s also the location of a Belfast Met campus where tourism students develop skills for the industry.
The Minister, who’s due to step down from the role in order to run for the Seanad in the Republic, said: “My Tourism Vision and action plan sets out how we plan to create a thriving, sustainable tourism industry for the future, enriching local quality of life and creating a year-round destination, across the north, that will stand out in international markets.
“To drive our ambition for the next 10 years, I have set a strategic goal that the economic value of our tourism expenditure from overnight visitors will exceed £2bn by 2035. This is ambitious but achievable.”
Actions include restoring funding for Tourism Ireland in its drive to draw international visitors to Northern Ireland, and ensuring there’s enough accommodation to meet visitor expectations.
And it also includes what the Department for the Economy described as “expanding our visitor experience portfolio through the development and promotion of peace tourism”.
In addition, it would involve an aviation policy to improve international connectivity, and pressing for a solution to the ETA’s impact on Northern Ireland.
Mr Murphy previously announced a new tourism partnership board to help achieve the plan’s targets.
He said he was “indebted” to the board and said it had helped identify 17 activities to help achieve the £2bn ambition while meeting his wider aims of promoting regional balance, raising productivity, creating good jobs and lowering carbon emissions.
He added: “We have a unique story to tell – we are renowned for our authentic experiences, landscape, heritage and culture and our welcoming people.
“This vision and action plan aims to help our tourism industry thrive and give our visitors an experience they will never forget.”
Stephen McNally, chair of the tourism partnership board, said: “I am grateful to Minister Murphy for inviting me to steer the work of the TPB which has been most rewarding especially given the extensive breadth of industry experience across the group.
“Collaboration has been central to shaping this vision. I am excited about the opportunities that implementing this vision and action plan will present for ensuring long-term economic, social, and environmental benefits for future generations.”
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