Visit Belfast, the city’s dedicated destination marketing and management organisation (DMMO), has officially marked 25 years since its foundation.
The organisation was first established by Belfast City Council as the Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau (BVCB) in 1999. At the time, Belfast had just 600 hotel bedrooms, 400,000 staying visitors, £80 million (€96 million) spent in the local economy, and the first cruise ship arrival, contributing around 17% to Northern Ireland’s tourism economy.
By 2023, Belfast had around 5,000 hotel bedrooms, 1.7 million overnight visitors, a record 159 cruise ships, and 100 conference business events. Tourism in Belfast contributed £539 million (€647 million) to the local economy – almost 45% of Northern Ireland’s total tourism impact.
“In a quarter of a century, Belfast’s international reputation has been transformed, and thanks to the foresight of Belfast City Council in establishing a dedicated tourism authority for the city and region, we are proud that we can compete successfully in an international marketplace for visitors, and to global industry recognition that underline[s] the city’s reputation as a great place in which to visit, live, study and invest,” said Belfast’s Lord Mayor, Councillor Micky Murray.
“Congratulations to Visit Belfast – the heart of Team Belfast – for its stellar contribution to the city’s success over 25 years.”
In its new strategy for the Belfast City Region, New Horizons, Visit Belfast plans to accelerate this growth further and aims to generate £424 million (€509 million) for the city economy as part of its tourism growth blueprint for 2024-27.
“Our ambitious strategy for the three years ahead, New Horizons, will strengthen and elevate the appeal of the city’s vibrant neighbourhoods to drive new growth and fresh exploration while we will continue to lead and champion sustainability across the industry, driving impact socially and economically,” said Marie-Thérèse McGivern, Visit Belfast’s chair.
