Tourism Ireland has launched details of its marketing strategy and plans to promote Northern Ireland overseas in 2026, at an event attended by the North’s Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald and hundreds of tourism industry leaders from around Northern Ireland.
Tourism Ireland envisages overseas tourism revenue to Northern Ireland can grow to £1.3 billion annually by 2035, with the right strategic supports. Northern Ireland welcomed over 945,000 overseas visitors in the first half of 2025, up +4% on the same period in 2024.
In 2026, Tourism Ireland will undertake an extensive and targeted programme of promotional activity across 15 key overseas markets. Some highlights of the organisation’s priorities for the year ahead include:
- Tourism Ireland will win visitors from diverse markets: deepening and defending tourism from the United States and GB, rolling out a new strategy to win more tourism from Mainland Europe, investing in growth markets such as Canada, as well as teeing up long-term partnerships in India and China.
- Co-operative marketing campaigns with air and sea carriers will drive visitor demand for strategic air and sea routes, delivering 15:1 return on investment.
- New broadcast TV and streaming shows supported by Tourism Ireland will air to millions of viewers around the world, including travel series starring Martin and Roman Kemp, Dermot O’Leary and Kevin McCloud.
- New focus areas will include culinary tourism, activity tourism, year-round reasons to travel, as well as inspiration to explore from gateway cities to regions.
- Tourism Ireland will promote Northern Ireland through advertising, publicity, digital, social and Gen AI, reaching potential visitors in the channels where they research holidays today.
Tourism Ireland’s marketing plans for 2026 will focus on outcomes in line with government policies North and South, including the Tourism Vision & Action Plan, which sets out DfE’s ambition for growth in our tourism sector to 2035.
At today’s launch, Tourism Ireland unveiled its new global advertising campaign ‘Ireland Goes Beyond’. The new campaign celebrates how Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland go beyond people’s expectations of a holiday experience, by creating memorable connections with the people and the place.
Speaking at the launch, Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald said: “Last year, overseas tourism generated £633 million for the north’s economy and the sector provides 70,000 jobs, over 70% of which are located outside of Belfast, contributing significantly to economic growth right across the north. Tourism is a hugely important industry, and I believe there is still significant growth potential. That is why we have set the ambitious aim of growing expenditure from overnight tourists to £2 billion by 2035. The Tourism Ireland marketing plans are key to helping achieve that target.
“Ireland has a fantastic tourism product with our authentic experiences, landscape, heritage, culture and our welcoming people. I wish Tourism Ireland well in the roll-out of these plans and bringing tourists to our shores to enjoy all we have to offer while supporting our local tourism businesses and this valuable industry for our economy.”
Alice Mansergh, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “Today, Minister Caoimhe Archibald and hundreds of tourism industry leaders attended the launch of Tourism Ireland’s 2026 Marketing Plans in Belfast. Tourism is a key indigenous industry, supporting jobs across regions and introducing around 2 million overseas visitors per year to all that Northern Ireland offers. Tourism Ireland is targeting overseas visitor spend to grow to £1.3 billion in Northern Ireland by 2035, supporting the Minister’s Tourism Vision & Action Plan.
“While the world is uncertain right now, consumers overseas are looking for travel that allows them to explore and disconnect. We’ll be championing Northern Ireland’s iconic landscapes, culture and history, from festivals and events to culinary tourism, using strategic marketing and partnerships to win visitors. Healthy growth is growth from a range of source markets; GB and the United States are fundamentally important for tourism to Northern Ireland and, in addition to our activities there, we’re rolling out a new strategy to win more visitors from Mainland Europe, we’re investing in growth markets like Canada and setting up impactful partnerships for the long term in China and India.
“Tourism is an industry with inspiring small businesses and local providers at its heart – we’re excited to provide +33% more promotional opportunities overseas for tourism SMEs in 2026. Our partnerships with air and sea carriers will inspire visitor demand for key routes, maximising on increased connectivity. We’ll be reaching overseas visitors directly with influential advertising, broadcast TV and streaming productions, publicity, digital, social and AI activity, to win year-round tourism, with benefits across regions.”
