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: tourism@belfastcity.gov.uk 

Tourism activity

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a devastating impact on tourism. Our tourism activity will include:

• developing a Visitor Experience Plan 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

But during coronavirus (COVID-19), we might need to change our tourism plans to support stabilisation and recovery.

Visitor Experience Plan

This ten-year plan will align with Tourism NI’s ‘Embrace A Giant Spirit’ destination brand and Belfast’s own brand, incorporating key learnings from the pandemic. It will facilitate a holistic approach to inclusive growth for the tourism sector and complement plans for the Belfast Destination Hub, Belfast’s transformational tourism project at the heart of the Belfast City Region Deal.

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.