Arlene Foster MLA

Tourism Minister, Arlene Foster has hailed the phenomenal success of the MTV Europe Awards held in Belfast yesterday.

A global audience of some 600 million watched the spectacular awards ceremony which saw a host of rock and pop superstars visit the city, many for the first time.

Arlene Foster said: “There has been a significant amount of work involved in bringing these prestigious awards to Northern Ireland as well as managing all the events which took place this weekend.

“For a city as small as Belfast to host top stars such as Lady GaGa, Coldplay and of course Justin Beiber over one weekend and to do it with such style is an amazing achievement. Belfast has been showcased like never before to a worldwide audience of millions and we should all be proud.

“I would personally like to thank the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Belfast City Council for their hard work in ensuring the Awards were such a success. I would also like to congratulate the PSNI for managing the thousands of fans who attended the Snow Patrol concert and the large crowds who gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite pop star. Thanks too must go to all the people who thronged Belfast City Centre and behaved in a such an exemplary way.”

Concluding, the Minster said that she believed the MTV event provided a significant boost to tourism in Northern Ireland.

She said: “Next year, will be another milestone for tourism here with so many exciting events planned including the Titanic centenary, the Clipper round-the-world yacht race and the UK City of Culture 2013. It is time for us to seize these opportunities to put our place on the world map.”