Northern Ireland enjoys record breaking tourist numbers

Tourism NI says more people from the Republic of Ireland are coming north for day trips and overnight breaks than ever before. They're also spending more too.

The Republic’s Central Statistics Office estimates 809,172 trips were made to Northern Ireland in the first 9 months of 2022. Up from 530,309 - that's a 52.6% increase on the same pre-Covid period in 2019.

And it's not just day trippers helping boost numbers - the figures, which cover the peak summer months, show a significant increase in the number of overnight stays with 1,942,779 nights from Jan-Sept 2022. Up by 46.4% compared to the same period in 2019.

As a result the economy benefitted from a spend of £164m over the nine months. That's £66.5m more than in 2019 - a massive increase of 68.3% on 2019, when visitors spent around £97.5m.

Tourism NI Chief Executive, John McGrillen, says "what we're seeing is a huge uplift in the numbers of people who have been coming over the last six, seven years. So we're delighted with what we're seeing and the results coming through".

While Tourism NI's high profile 'Embrace a Giant Spirit' charm offensive in the Republic has helped promote our world class and world renowned tourist attractions, John McGrillen believes the people in NI are key to the success of the tourism offering.

"Well the 'Embrace a Giant Spirit' is really about the people and that's what that brand is all about. It's about getting the message across that Northern Ireland is a very warm and a very welcoming place and sometimes that's not the perception that people have of the place," he explained.

"What we find is when people leave that they tell us that their experience has been much better than they anticipated. And 70% of businesses the Republic of Ireland say that they will be back."

So how will 2023 measure up against 2022? Well we know it won't be without its challenges. After all, being a tourist costs money and we are in the midst of a cost of living crisis.

“Looking ahead we are optimistic for 2023. Visitors to Northern Ireland have more to look forward to including the multi-million pound upgrade of Titanic Belfast, screen tourism attractions including the Game of Thrones Studio tour and a growing number of Derry Girls experiences, a burgeoning food and drink offering and festivals and events that are special to Northern Ireland" says John McGrillen.

And at least we don't have to impress our Southern visitors with the weather!

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