Sterling's strength is causing a "small fall-off" in the room occupancy rate at Belfast's hotels, the chief executive of the city's tourism promotion body said yesterday. But Mr Gareth White said the Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau was still forecasting a 9 per cent increase in visitors to the city this year.

Mr White claimed the suspension of the Northern Ireland Executive had "little or no impact" on tourism numbers, although it was crucial that the cross-Border tourism body planned in the Belfast Agreement was established.

Some 1.1 million people went to Belfast on day trips in 1999, Mr White said at a briefing yesterday. A further 490,000 visitors stayed for one or more nights in the city.