This year, 2009, ought to be a year of opportunity for the tourism industry. Better value for money in sterling and a more stable political reputation should combine to attract visitors.

However, after the big recovery in the years up to 2004, not only has the momentum been lost but the annual number of visitors from outside Ireland has fallen. Forecasts for 2009, north and south, are pessimistic.

The evidence of the last four years is disappointing.

The institutional and professional backing for a more aggressive and modern tourist industry needs to be strengthened.

Tourist development strategies and plans are easily expressed on paper. Implementation calls for stronger actions to follow.

This diagnosis points severally at Government policy, at delivery mechanisms of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) and also raises questions on the responsibilities shared by NITB, Tourism Ireland and Invest NI.

In January 2009 the final version of the Corporate Plan for NITB for the period commencing in April 2008 still awaits publication.

A draft was circulated in mid-2008, comments invited and, as this is written, awaits clearance by the Assembly Committee. The annual report for 2007-8 is not yet available.

In defence of NITB the argument will be made that tourism has grown and has recovered much of the market penetration lost in the years of instability.

As a rejoinder, the recent expansion can be seen as modest by comparison with what has happened elsewhere. Also, it too readily relies on the number of visitors as the key performance indicator.

NITB would be the first to argue that tourism is about more than the number of visitors and what they spend. In addition, it should be about value added and linked expansion of a series of service industry sectors that attract extra value added.

Where does responsibility lie for the planning and delivery of a strengthened tourist sector? There are several key stakeholders whose support and contributions are needed.

The planning and delivery processes should work to set priorities which have cohesion and are achievable.

This would focus on operational steps and not be a wish list that reads well but remains just that: a wish list.

One of the dangers in articulating even a prioritised delivery plan is the risk that developments expected from private sector operators may not keep pace with or integrate well with public sector decisions (on features such as the infrastructure).

Where the private sector lags in the primary investments needed, then NITB and Invest NI must exercise discretion. For example, attracting hotel development along the north coast has been inadequate.

This seems like a case of ‘market failure.’ Have NITB and Invest NI, jointly, done enough to offset the market failure?

The private sector where it is expected to invest in Signature Projects has made slow progress. For example, the Giants Causeway Project should be a profitable investment with 500,000+ visitors meeting the bulk of the costs. Yet there still remains uncertainty on delivery and official funding (if any).

As from the start of this year, the membership of the NITB board has changed radically. New personalities hold the initiative and must now account for their actions. A new chairperson is awaited.

An early statement of an active series of operational policies is also awaited. Given the gap between ambitions and reality any suggestion that they might simply maintain the existing policies, methods and incentives would be disappointing.

NITB draws support from, and relies on, Tourism Ireland to promote Northern Ireland outside Ireland. NITB relies on Invest NI for promotion of hotels and private sector enterprises.

These institutional arrangements are complex. There will be a listening audience if the new NITB suggests some changes to the Barnett review of development policy.