Tourism

Storytelling

In our cultural strategy, A City Imagining, we recognised the importance of cultural tourism in our city's economy. Through storytelling, we can offer visitors authentic, local and cultural experiences.Our citizens, neighbourhoods and local communities are central to telling these stories.

Tourism priorities

Our cultural strategy outlines four priorities for tourism in Belfast:

• enhancing and enriching the visitor experience
• supporting tourism development across the city’s neighbourhoods
• focusing our tourism marketing and communications
• supporting skills development to enhance tourism growth and development

We’ve developed an implementation plan for 2020-2023 to deliver our cultural strategy. To ask for a copy, contact us by email [email protected].

Tourism activity

Our tourism activities include:

• developing a Tourism Plan (link opens in new window) for Belfast
• working with delivery partners to support the development of tourism across our neighbourhoods
• supporting capacity-building and skills development with an emphasis on digital skills
• working with Visit Belfast on marketing, visitor servicing and business tourism

Inclusive tourism

We offer free and practical training on inclusive tourism to help businesses improve communication and access for their disabled customers.

Inclusive Tourism awards

The Inclusive Tourism awards are part of Belfast’s Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Programme. 

If you know a tourism business in Belfast that provides exceptional service for disabled visitors, you can nominate the business for an award. Nominations close on Sunday 19 January 2025 at 11.59pm. 

Nominate a tourism business

The form includes instructions in British Sign Language (BSL) and Irish Sign Language (ISL). To ask for a different format, email [email protected].

Inclusive Tourism awards videos

Our video in BSL explains how to nominate a Belfast business for an award. The video plays for three minutes and 47 seconds.

To nominate a Belfast-based tourism business, go to Nominate a tourism business (link opens in new window).

Our video in ISL explains how to nominate a Belfast business for an award. The video plays for three minutes and 54 seconds.

To nominate a Belfast-based tourism business, go to Nominate a tourism business (link opens in new window).

Sustainable tourism

It’s important groups and organisations that work together to make sure the tourism industry adopts sustainable practices. We’re working with Visit Belfast and other stakeholders to develop a citywide plan for long-term change.

We are supporting Belfast-based tourism and hospitality businesses that apply for the Green Tourism standard.

VisitBelfast

To find information on what to see and do in Belfast, go to VisitBelfast (link opens in new window).

Food and drink tourism

We’ve developed a Food and Drink Tourism Action Plan. The plan will help improve visitor experiences by developing food tourism experiences and raising the profile of local food and drink. We are doing this to achieve the ambitions of Belfast’s Make Yourself at Home tourism plan.

Food and Drink Tourism network

As part of this plan, we’ve set up a Food and Drink Tourism network, representing businesses from across the hospitality and tourism sectors. If you are a food and drink producer, provider or run food and drink experiences and want to join the network, email [email protected].

Draft Tourism Plan

Read our Draft Tourism Plan

Neighbourhood Tourism Fund

Our Neighbourhood Tourism Fund expressions of interest (EOI) for high-quality visitor experiences in the Belfast City Council area closed on 4 October.

The application process has two stages. Following evaluation of expressions of interest, we’ll invite shortlisted applicants to the second stage.