New spring promotional blitz targets travellers in GB for short breaks and holidays in Northern Ireland
Campaign will be seen by millions and reach 75% of all adults in GB
Tourism Ireland has launched a £3.5 million, multi-media promotional campaign, to boost travel to Northern Ireland from GB over the coming months. The campaign will be seen by millions and will reach at least 75% of all adults in GB. It will generate demand and drive bookings for short breaks and holidays in Northern Ireland.
The extensive campaign will include advertising on major TV channels; digital outdoor ads running on more than 315 sites across GB; ads on popular digital and social channels; co-operative promotions with airlines and ferry operators serving Northern Ireland; as well as a busy programme of publicity. The campaign will also include a new music partnership, to highlight the recent designation of Belfast as a UNESCO City of Music.
Economy Minister Gordon Lyons MLA said: “Tourism is an enormously important industry for Northern Ireland and will be a key driver for our economy as we re-build and re-grow from the devastating impact of the Covid pandemic. I very much welcome the new Tourism Ireland £3.5 million Green Button / Embrace a Giant Spirit campaign to promote Northern Ireland in GB.
“Northern Ireland is well known for its fantastic tourism product, including the beautiful Causeway Coastal Route, the historic city of Londonderry, the fantastic Lakelands of Fermanagh, and of course, our capital city, Belfast, with our maritime history highlighted at Titanic Belfast, a truly world-class visitor attraction. Just last week I attended the preview of the spectacular new Game of Thrones Studio Tour in Banbridge, which will be the only officially licensed Game of Thrones experience in the world and is now open and ready to welcome visitors.
“The GB market continues to be a vitally important one for our tourism industry at this time of regrowth and I am confident that this campaign will yet again show the best of what Northern Ireland has to offer. Our tour operators, visitor attractions, hospitality businesses and accommodation providers are ready to welcome our GB customers to enjoy all that Northern Ireland has to offer.”
Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “We are delighted to unveil our new £3.5 million campaign to promote Northern Ireland in GB – which will highlight our great cities, spectacular scenery and the many things to see and do here. As we continue to rebuild our tourism business from the all-important GB market, our aim is to remind prospective visitors that Northern Ireland is the perfect destination for a short break or holiday. Tourism Ireland will be pulling out all the stops to drive as much business as possible to Northern Ireland over the coming months.”
GB is an important market for tourism to Northern Ireland. Before COVID-19, in 2019, we welcomed almost 1.5 million GB of visitors to Northern Ireland, whose visits generated £369 million in revenue.
