Introduction
This toolkit is for businesses who provide outdoor experiences and wish to attract people from outside their local area.
About this toolkit
It shows you how you can:
- Be part of the Northern Ireland tourism industry and advance our reputation for sustainable and regenerative tourism
- Develop an offer that combines landscape, people and outdoor activity to create unforgettable experiences
- Tailor your offer to the specific interests and needs of your visitors
- Grow your business and make it more original and distinctly Northern Ireland
- Network with local partners to create a more attractive destination
- Ensure your offer is sustainable and viable
It explains what you need to think about and what you need to do in five key steps:
- Checking your foundations
- Understanding your customer
- Developing your tourism offer
- Building your networks
- Making it happen
What makes a tourist?
This toolkit is about tourism. It focuses specifically on visitors who live outside your area. They could be a family from Belfast having a weekend on the Causeway Coast, a group of friends from Galway staying in
Co. Fermanagh, a couple from Manchester on a city break in Belfast or a tour group from the US touring Northern Ireland.
Whoever they are, whenever they visit, they are looking for new and interesting things to do, often wanting to find out more about the place they are visiting and its people. They have limited time, and this may well be their only visit to your area.
Not everyone wants to be a tourist; some prefer to be welcomed and hosted as visitors or guests therefore that is the terminology used in this toolkit.
Your steps into tourism
Tourism NI’s visitor research shows visitors to Northern Ireland highly value our beautiful landscapes and seascapes. Outdoor activities that enable them to explore are popular; but there is room for more. We need to offer immersive experiences that enable visitors to connect with the elements, feel inspired by our landscapes and create lasting memories of Northern Ireland.
The outdoor tourism sector is highly competitive. Northern Ireland competes with other parts of the UK, Republic of Ireland, Europe and other international destinations to be a destination of choice.
A successful tourism business depends on professionalism, attention to detail, the ability to adapt and innovate and a strong network of good business relationships. It requires a long-term investment of effort, time and money.
This all begins with clear-sighted, careful planning. This toolkit will help you create your plan.
For more on the importance of outdoor experiences for Northern Ireland tourism and current trends see: 'Embracing the outdoors' and 'Why we embrace the outoors'