The Lonely Planet guide's endorsement of Belfast as a 'City on the Rise' was confirmed today with record numbers of visitors reported in 2006.
Numbers rose by 6 per cent to 6.8 million with tourists from outside Northern Ireland increasing by 11 per cent to 1.25 million - together supporting almost 18,000 jobs.
The boost in visitor numbers has been built on the back of ever-improving air links to mainland Europe and further afield.
According to the Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau (BVCB) and Belfast City Council, tourism can now be regarded as one of the city's key economic generators, as tourists spent £324 million in the city last year.
That was a 14 per cent increase on 2005 and out-of-state visitors contributed 47 per cent of revenue, filling city coffers to the tune of £152.6 million.
Announcing the details BVCB chief executive Gerry Lennon said they confirmed Belfast's place on the tourist map for city breaks, cruise ships, conferences and business tourism.
He said: "It is wonderful to get strong endorsements from respected sources such as the Lonely Planet guide, but the real proof of the pudding is in seeing the sheer numbers of visitors, hearing the different accents around the city and being able to measure the huge economic benefit that tourism brings."
He said the 1.25 million visitors from outside Northern Ireland was a far cry from 1996 when barely 200,000 ventured to the city.
PA