“There are a huge number of great reasons for Canadian travellers to include the north of Ireland in their future travel plans.” That was the message from the Northern Ireland Economy Minister, at an event in Toronto attended by leading travel industry representatives.
Minister Murphy said: “Canada is an extremely important market for tourism to the north of Ireland. It is a market which has a strong affinity with us, our values, and our ambitions, and we believe that tourism from Canada can grow significantly in the years ahead. We have an award-winning tourism offering, a committed industry and there are excellent relationships in place with our Canadian travel trade partners to facilitate continued growth.”
The Minister continued: “From world-class attractions such as Titanic Belfast and the Giant’s Causeway, to flagship events such as the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in 2025, there are a huge number of great reasons for Canadian travellers to include the north of Ireland in their future travel plans.”
Belfast 2024 is a yearlong program of culture and inspiration built upon Belfast’s designation as a UNESCO City of Music and its well-known literary reputation. The initiative has seen the city come to life with creative projects and events taking place throughout 2024.
In recent years, screen tourism has become hugely important in Northern Ireland, with visitors coming to the Game of Thrones Studio Tour and of course, the locations made famous by Netflix’s Derry Girls. The historic walled city of Derry, where the Wild Atlantic Way meets the Causeway Coastal Route, is also home to Europe’s largest Halloween festival. The New York Times previously listed ‘Derry – The Maiden City’ as one of the world’s top Halloween destinations.
The obvious sporting highlight next year will be the Open Championship returning to Northern Ireland. In 2019, Royal Portrush hosted a hugely successful event which was lauded by golf fans and commentators alike. Northern Ireland will again be at the center of the golf world in 2025, as the tournament returns to the world-class signature course.
Siobhan McManamy, Tourism Ireland’s Director of Markets & Partnerships, said: “Our aim is to increase the value of overseas tourism to the island of Ireland, so we’re delighted to welcome Minister Murphy to North America this week. Northern Ireland has so much to offer across regions and seasons, from iconic spots to hidden gems. Working in close collaboration with our Irish and Canadian tourism partners, we are rolling out an ambitious marketing program of high impact campaigns and promotions, targeting those consumers with greatest potential to travel to Northern Ireland. We’re delighted to work with our air, tour and travel partners to make it more accessible than ever to come and enjoy the island of Ireland.”
It has never been easier to get to the island of Ireland. This summer saw a 20% increase in capacity from 2023, and non-stop direct flights from 5 Canadian gateways, with the Fall season continuing to offer an array of unique experiences to make the trip.
