Top things to consider when developing an outdoor experience

Visitors are looking for unique, attractive and enriching experiences which feature strong storytelling and local connections – and outdoor experiences are no different.

Listed below are some of the things you should consider when developing an outdoor based experience.

Make it unique & authentic

At the core of any experience is the desire to learn new things unique to that destination and to immerse oneself in the local culture. The more unique and authentic you can develop your experience to make it ‘distinctively Northern Irish’ the better. In an outdoors context this could include taking visitors to a famous viewpoint for that perfect ‘Instagrammable outdoors’ moment, discovering Northern Ireland’s unique and diverse landscapes, listening to local stories as well as meeting local producers and sampling their food and drink during or after the outdoor activity.

It is also worth noting the key motivators for intended trips to Northern Ireland from Tourism NI’s latest Customer Sentiment Research (January 2023) are relaxation (46%), escapism (33%) and fun (30%) to shape and build your experiences around.

Who is it for

Designing successful outdoor experiences requires careful consideration of your customer in order to create exactly what they want – an experience that is memorable, provides value and high levels of satisfaction.

Customer segmentation is an excellent starting point to understanding what potential visitors are looking for in an outdoor experience. In Northern Ireland ’Natural Quality Seekers’ and ‘Aspiring Families’ have been identified as the most likely to connect with the outdoors during a break in Northern Ireland. The outdoors appeals to all of the Republic of Ireland segments, although it has particular interest to two priority segments – open minded explorers and culture and connection seekers. In Great Britain, key segments which will relate to the outdoors are culturally curious and great escapers.

Trends in the outdoors

Outdoor experiences and activities have evolved significantly over the last number of years globally and in Northern Ireland. One of the biggest shifts is away from adrenaline activities to more soft adventure which includes activities with less associated risk such as walking and cycling. There is also a noticeable trend to improve mental and physical wellbeing which is now being integrated into short breaks and holidays and for the outdoors this includes forest bathing, outdoor meditation/yoga and slow adventure experiences.

Visitors are also looking to combine the traditional tourism experience with something special that takes them off the beaten track, meaning the incorporation of visiting ‘hidden gems’ in outdoor experiences is on the rise.

Last but not least is sustainability. Sustainability is rapidly gaining global recognition and importance with consumers behaving and purchasing more environmentally responsible good and services.

Collaborate to innovate

Partnering with local businesses can bring your outdoor experience to the next level and result in a much more attractive offering. One example could involve partnering with an accommodation provider in a unique location, storytellers/guides who can bring the outdoors to life and food producers who can connect their produce to the landscape.

A Giant Spirit Experience

Tourism NI’s ‘Embrace the Giant Spirit’ brand is used to promote Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland and internationally with the aim of increasing visitor numbers and ensuring strong economic impact across Northern Ireland.

Landscapes and the coast feature strongly within it, meaning outdoor experiences play a very important role in showcasing what Northern Ireland has to offer visitors.

To create a Giant Spirit experience, there is a range of criteria which must be met. For more information read Tourism NI’s Experience Development Toolkit and for more information on developing an outdoor experience read our ‘Embrace the Outdoors’ and ‘Embrace a Giant Spirit’ Toolkits.