Northern Ireland takes aim at ‘significant growth’ from Canada

Northern Ireland’s Economy Minister, Conor Murphy was in Toronto this week (Sept. 19) to meet with the Canadian travel trade, telling the group during his visit that “there are a huge number of great reasons for Canadian travellers to include the north of Ireland in their future travel plans.”

During the roundtable discussion session, Minister Murphy received input and feedback from top executives from Goway, WestJet, Royal Irish Tours (RIT), Merit Travel Golf Vacations, Flight Centre, TTC Tour Brands, Travel Leaders Network, Air Canada, Air Canada Vacations and Golf Away Tours.

He told the gathering that: “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.”

And Minister Murphy added: “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.”

Minister Murphy also reminded the group of some of the things that Northern Ireland offers visitors, observing: “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.”

As well, 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.

And 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.

As for 2025, 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 centre of the golf world in 2025, as the tournament returns to the world-class signature course.

Tourism Ireland’s Director of Markets & Partnerships, Siobhan McManamy, who was also on hand for the meeting, 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.”

McManamy continued: “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.”

Of note, it has never been easier to get to the island of Ireland. The summer of 2024 saw a 20% increase in capacity, compared to 2023, with non-stop direct flights from 5 Canadian gateways. And the Fall season continues to offer an array of unique experiences to make the trip.

Seen in the photo (Top)

Seen here, from l to r, are Sandra Bailey Moffatt, Country Manager – Canada, Tourism Ireland; Minister Conor Murphy MLA – Minister for the Economy Northern Ireland; Alison Metcalfe, VP North America Australia and NZ; Siobhan McManamy, Director of Markets, Tourism Ireland.