By Suzanne McCarten

Copyright newsletter

The gathering at The Guildhall in Derry took place as part of Tourism and Hospitality Week 2025. The dedicated week aims to shine a spotlight on the importance of the sector, which generates £1.1 billion for Northern Ireland’s economy, supports more than 70,000 jobs across the region, and nearly 6,000 businesses, through a series of engaging events for both industry and the public. The week is supported by a host of partners, including Tourism NI, Hospitality Ulster, the Northern Ireland Hotel Federation (NIHF) and the Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance (NITA), Tourism Ireland, the Further & Higher Education Network and Ulster University, as well as tourism and hospitality businesses across Northern Ireland. This week, Tourism NI brought more than 40 tourism businesses, who are part of its `Embrace A Giant Spirit’ Experience Portfolio together at the Guildhall for a celebration event. Launched in spring 2023, the Portfolio is an ongoing developmental programme for tourism experience businesses which aims to increase their commercial skills and revenue and enhance their experiences within the context of the Northern Ireland tourism brand. More than 100 businesses currently participate in the portfolio. The event at the Guildhall aimed to celebrate the success and growth of the Portfolio, whilst also encouraging networking and collaboration. The event also helped the businesses explore the opportunities ahead and continue to build our collective community of tourism experience businesses working to share the Giant Spirit of Northern Ireland. The businesses were welcomed to the gathering by Eimear Callaghan, Head of Experience and Industry Development at Tourism NI and Maria McAlister, Interim Experience Brand Development Manager at Tourism NI. Those gathered heard from Paul Marden, Co-CEO of Rubber Cheese, a digital and web expert in visitor experiences and attractions, who shared valuable insights and inspiration on how the Northern Ireland tourism offering can be elevated by industry working in collaboration. Attendees also heard from a number of industry speakers including David Gilliland from Brooke Hall Estate & Gardens Emily McCorkell, from Lo & Slo, and Michael Beare from Finn Lough, who all shared their own personal business development experiences. Maria McAlister, Interim Experience Brand Development Manager at Tourism NI, said: “We were delighted to celebrate with key members of our tourism experience industry as part of Tourism and Hospitality Week. “Authentic and immersive experiences are vital for enhancing the appeal of our destination and the Embrace a Giant Spirit Experience Portfolio is a fantastic opportunity to support the growth, productivity and innovation of these important businesses. “We look forward to continuing to invest and develop the Experience Portfolio to build a thriving experience sector which confidently and successfully awakens the Giant Spirit in our visitors.”