Sudipta Dev – Mumbai
The new exciting tourism highlight for visitors to Northern Ireland is the Game of Thrones attractions. “Apart from activities there are coach tours to different locations where the seasons of the show were filmed. Hotels are coming up with Game of Thrones banquets which can be done for small groups. Of course if there is a large MICE group, a lot of businesses will be happy to accommodate them,” said Aubrey Irwin, head of Northern Ireland, Tourism Ireland.
The highlights of the tours range from entry into Winterfell Castle Archery Range to ‘behind the scenes’ gossip from tour guides. Visitors also have the option of trying of the costumes from the series. The tours cover well known locations like The Dark Hedges to Ballintoy Harbour. An essential aspect for most visitors is of course the World Heritage Site of Giant Causeway, which remains Northern Ireland’s most recognised tourism landmark.
Pointing out that Titanic Belfast has immediate recognition with tourists across the world, including India, Irwin mentioned that in fact it won Best Visitor Attraction at the 2015 European Group Travel Awards.
Another interesting tourism product of Northern Ireland are the houseboats. “The region is one and a half hours drive from Belfast. The lake region has been welcoming groups in languid, still quiet waterways and the main markets have been Switzerland and Germany. These houseboats are different from big cruises and can accommodate maximum eight people,” mentioned Irwin.
He also believes that in Northern Ireland the bed & breakfast (B&B) product is a wonderful option for people who want to see other cultures. “These B&B are checked by the tourism authorities and given grades up to five stars. The five star B&B is very luxurious,” he remarked.