Northern Ireland tourism figures ‘have more than doubled’ since Good Friday Agreement
Statistics from Tourism NI show a 179% increase in holiday trips to Northern Ireland since the 1998 deal
Last updated 20th Apr 2023
The number of tourists visiting Northern Ireland has more than doubled since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago, it’s been claimed.
Figures from Tourism NI show that since The Good Friday Agreement, visits to local tourist hotspots have rapidly risen from 7.5 million in 1998 to 16.5 million.
It also claims holiday spending by visitors to Northern Ireland has risen from £32m in 1998 to £299m.
“The past 25 years has also seen major investment, supported by government funding and other funding sources, in major projects and visitor experiences including Titanic Belfast, The Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre, and the Game of Thrones exhibition,” Tourism NI said.
The new statistics show that domestic holiday trips have also seen a 179% increase since the historic peace deal, from 543,000 in 1998 to 1.517 million, while domestic holiday spend has increased by 271% from £63m to £234m – not adjusted for inflation.
“Major events such as the Open, the Irish Open and the Giro d’Italia have also been showcased to the world from Northern Ireland,” it says.
“Northern Ireland now has 141 hotels, 75% of which have been refurbished or built since 2003. These hotels have a combined 9,432 bedrooms compared to 4,900 in 1998.2"
“The hotel sector has seen £1bn of investment in the last 20 years, around £50m per annum with a possible £300m more by 2025.”
The latest figures came as Ellvena Graham, chair of Tourism NI, addressed the ‘Agreement 25’ event at Queen’s University, Belfast – marking the end of a series of engagements and high-profile visitors, such as former US senator George Mitchell and former US President Bill Clinton.
During a panel discussion Ellvena Graham outlined the impact of the peace dividend on the tourism industry.
“The three days have focused worldwide attention on Northern Ireland and once again highlighted the benefits of peace, not least for our tourism industry,” she said.
“The increase in visitors to the region since the Good Friday Agreement is testament to the hard work and vision of many people from across Northern Ireland and further afield and we should be proud of the huge increase in spend by out of state holiday visitors since 1998, a phenomenal achievement.
“We’ve also seen major investment in our tourism attractions with more exciting plans in the pipeline.”