Tourism Ireland unveiled its ambitious marketing strategy for 2025, aiming to boost Northern Ireland’s tourism sector. This announcement was made at a high-profile event with the presence of Economy Minister Conor Murphy and numerous industry leaders from across Northern Ireland.
The strategy sets a target to increase overseas tourism revenue by an average of 6.5% annually until 2030, with aspirations to double the revenue to approximately £1.3 billion by 2035, compared to 2023 figures.
The plan for 2025 includes a comprehensive series of initiatives aimed at enhancing tourism across both Northern Ireland and the broader Irish island. With a sustained emphasis on sustainable development, Tourism Ireland seeks to attract visitors who contribute significantly to the local economy by engaging more extensively with attractions and services.
A notable initiative being introduced in 2025 is the ‘Slow Tourism Month,’ designed to encourage tourists to immerse themselves in local communities and landscapes at a leisurely pace, promoting longer stays and the use of eco-friendly transportation.
Furthermore, Tourism Ireland is set to launch a new global advertising campaign in over 13 international markets. This campaign will evolve from the successful ‘Fill your heart with Ireland’ campaign, incorporating appearances by two characters from the popular show ‘Derry Girls’ to position Ireland as a top-tier travel destination.
Speaking at the launch, Economy Minister Conor Murphy said: “I believe strongly in the importance and value of tourism as a driver for sustainable economic growth in communities across the north. I have just launched the Tourism Vision & Action Plan, developed by the industry, for the industry. Targeting increased growth from overseas visitors is vital to its success and Tourism Ireland’s marketing activity across key markets will be the key driver in attracting those visitors and contributing towards my goal for tourism expenditure from overnight visitors to exceed £2 billion by 2035.
“Since taking up office, I have ensured that appropriate levels of funding have been restored to Tourism Ireland. The extent and aspirations of the plans outlined today are a direct consequence of this enhanced support, allowing Tourism Ireland to do more and to reach further in attracting key visitors here.
“I very much welcome Tourism Ireland’s marketing plans and their work to ensure the north is showcased on the international stage and that this part of our island is a destination of choice for overseas visitors, who can bring value for communities, workers and businesses right across this region.”
Alice Mansergh, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “Overseas tourism to Northern Ireland delivered £672 million in revenue in 2023 and, importantly, helped to support around 70,000 jobs across Northern Ireland. Over half of all visitor spend comes from those travelling to Northern Ireland from overseas. We’re ambitious to support growth for local Northern Ireland businesses, the economy and communities and are targeting growing overseas visitor spend in Northern Ireland to £1.3 billion by 2035.
“In any industry there are risks to mitigate and tourism is no different. This year, we will need to take account of the added step that the introduction of the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme will bring, as well as the passenger cap at Dublin Airport.
“However, there is also enormous potential ahead and we are ambitious for growth. In 2025, we will focus on increasing the value of overseas tourism, sustainably supporting economies, communities and the environment – and will do so by inspiring overseas visitors and strengthening strategic partnerships.
“We will be launching a new campaign across 13+ overseas markets to win hearts, minds and trips. We will be collaborating with air and sea carrier partners to support demand for routes to Northern Ireland. With 80% of visitors researching and booking trips online, we will be sharing daily inspiration with our 7.5 million followers on social media and supporting 10 million deep research visits on our website, increasingly optimised for AI. Working with broadcasters around the world, we look forward to TV shows featuring reasons to visit airing to key audiences. Sporting moments like The Open at Royal Portrush present a key opportunity, with promotional activity already under way. Festivals throughout Northern Ireland create additional moments to spotlight, as we win holidays from overseas visitors to grow the benefits of tourism across the year.”
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