Tourism Ireland, the joint Eire and Northern Ireland tourism agency, has launched a marketing campaign intended to grow overseas tourism revenue for the north to an annual £2 billion by 2035. The plan includes the targeting of key international markets, as well as partnerships with transport operators, promotions across a range of channels, and a focus on bringing in visitors through sporting events and festivals.
The campaign follows up a previous “Fill your heart with Ireland” theme in the island’s advertising that leaned heavily on TV stars from popular comedy series Derry Girls, as well as the Irish reputation for charm, warmth and storytelling.
Sustainability, slow tourism and added value
That will continue, along with a focus on sustainability, slow tourism (which will have its own month-long push), and increasing the average tourist spend through drawing in those who like to get out and about exploring Irish communities, described as “‘value adding tourism traits”.
“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,” Economy Minister Conor Murphy said at the launch.
Economy Minister @conormurphysf joined @tourismireland at the launch of their 2025 Marketing Plans.
— Economy NI (@Economy_NI) January 16, 2025
The role of Tourism Ireland in attracting overseas visitors to the north is vital in reaching the Minister’s goal of tourism expenditure by overnight visitors exceeding £2 billion… pic.twitter.com/GtuFwLcspP
More than 13 of those markets have been identified, and they will be reached through TV and online platforms, Alice Mansergh, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said.
“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,” Mansergh announced. “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.”
Risks from ETA and airport caps mitigated by funding
Despite risks posed by the introduction of the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and a new passenger cap at Dublin Airport, growth of more than 6.5% in overseas tourism revenue for Northern Ireland will be needed each year through to 2030 in order to reach the target.
We are targeting average growth of +6.5% in overseas tourism revenue for NI each year to 2030 – growing revenue to around £1.3 billion per year by 2035. #TI2025 pic.twitter.com/JnqX07lgKy
— Tourism Ireland (@TourismIreland) January 16, 2025
That will be achieved through the creation of a billion advertising “opportunities to see”, the agency said in a statement. 500 million of those will be “messages about Northern Ireland in tier one international media outlets, with a focus on stories showcasing the magic of our regions,” they said.
More funding will be supplied too, Murphy promised, who noted that “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.”
