Belfast Needs To Develop Second Major Tourist Attraction

Belfast needs to develop a second major tourist attraction, Belfast Lord Major, Alderman Brian Kingston, has said following Titanic Belfast being named the World's Leading Tourist Attraction.

Alderman Kingston made the comment as he met Titanic Belfast Chief Executive, Tim Husbands, MBE in Titanic Quarter to offer his congratulations on behalf of the city.

The Lord Mayor said: "This is an outstanding accolade for Belfast and it's a huge achievement for all of the Titanic Belfast team. Titanic Belfast has proved more popular in votes from the tourism industry and the public than finalists including the Las Vegas Strip, USA, Machu Picchu, Peru and the Guinness Storehouse, Ireland.

"Titanic Belfast is making a significant contribution to our economy and to our positive global profile. This award is testament to how far we've come as a tourism destination – and demonstrates that we're ready to enhance our visitor experience and tell the Belfast Story to our ever growing numbers of visitors.

"If we look at the Southbank in London, or the Guggenheim in Bilbao, it's clear that culture has tremendous potential to regenerate and transform cities through the creation of world class, sustainable visitor destinations. With the spotlight shining brightly on Belfast, I feel there's no better time to power ahead with developing our city's tourism offer."


Titanic Belfast's success comes as Belfast City Council is formulating plans to create a second major tourist attraction for the city. Following a recommendation in the Belfast City Regeneration and Investment Strategy to create an additional 'significant attraction of international stature that is distinctive and unique to the city', a feasibility study is now being completed on the Belfast Story visitor attraction on behalf of Belfast City Council and its partners on a new visitor attraction that focuses on the 'Belfast Story'.

It's proposed that the Belfast Story will provide an authentic, distinctive Belfast experience, and be a visible expression of the city's people, cultural heritage and future aspirations.

The Royal Avenue anchor attraction would tell the city's story through music, art, literature, film and interactive experiences and incorporate exhibition space and a shared space for cultural, digital and media skills development. It would also strengthen the existing local cultural and tourism offers in and around the city.

Detailed design, masterplanning, governance, delivery models and a viable funding model are all still to be progressed, leading to the development of an outline business case.

(MH/JP)