Measuring the Performance of Tourist Boards: The Case of NITB

The travel trade industry worldwide naturally endeavors to reach the best results and highest profits which would not be possible without certain amount of self-critique and feedback. Since the public sector sometimes tries to defend its strategies by saying “we are not business, we can’t measure our effectiveness”, let us look at a case showing evaluation is not only possible but necessary. In 2004 the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) commissioned an independent study to assess the views of the Northern Ireland Tourist Industry and key Stakeholders with regard to the acceptance and capability of NITB as strategic leader for tourism in Northern Ireland, NITB’s communication with the industry and contribution to meeting their needs and objectives.