The potential for the development of sustainable tourism in Northern Ireland – the Challenges facing the Northern Ireland tourist board

Abstract

Over the 25 years from the beginning of the Northern Ireland troubles until the ceasefire at the end of 1994, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board had probably the least enviable task of any tourism authority in Europe – that of persuading potential tourists that the images of violence portrayed on their television screens should not dissuade them from looking seriously at Northern Ireland as a tourist destination. This paper looks at Northern Ireland tourism over the past 25 years together with the activities of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, and addresses four of the most important factors which could act as constraints on longer-term tourism success in Northern Ireland, i.e. industry confidence, accommodation and infrastructure, the stability of the peace process and, last but not least, the ability of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board to develop from their previously rather defensive, reactive style of marketing to being a more professional pro-active marketing organization capable of putting in place the aggressive marketing strategies necessary to deliver sustainable tourism to Northern Ireland.