To ask the Minister for the Economy for an update on progress in using the TXGB booking system to enable Northern Ireland tourism businesses to access new markets.

My Department’s Tourism Recovery Action Plan includes an action to use the TXGB centralised booking platform to enable local businesses to not only access new markets but also manage sales across multiple global distributions channels. Based upon the information provided to date, TXGB has great potential to achieve these aims. On my behalf, Tourism NI officials have held a number of meetings with Visit England and the developers of TXGB to take this action forward. Tourism NI is currently developing a business case for approval and is considering appropriate procurement options. I look forward to this outcome being achieved over the coming months, as competition intensifies when international markets reopen.