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Hotels in Northern Ireland are enjoying their most successful year to date, with demand for rooms reaching an all-time high, according to research.

The past year has seen average room occupancy rates of 68.8%, a three per cent increase over the 12-month period, a report by accountancy firm ASM Horwath reveals.

Michael Williamson, director of consulting with the firm and author of the study, described the performance of Northern Ireland's hotel sector in the past year as 'outstanding', News Letter reports.

He also suggested that the industry is set for further growth in the future as it enjoys a period of 'rapid growth and change'.

Discussing the factors behind the ongoing growth of tourism in Northern Ireland, Mr Williamson said: 'In overall terms, improved air route accessibility is working to the industry's advantage and the prospect of additional routes from Northern Ireland provides confidence that the number of tourists will increase further.'

Four new hotels are scheduled to open in Northern Ireland by 2009, bringing an additional 600 rooms to the city of Belfast.

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