The campaign, which runs under the banner ‘Northern Ireland – Embrace a Giant Spirit’, will be seen by millions of people and will reach at least 80% of all adults in Britain.
This will generate demand now and generate bookings for short stays and holidays in Northern Ireland.
The extensive campaign will include advertising on major television channels and catch-up television sites; digital outdoor advertising on over 500 sites across the UK; advertisements on popular digital and social channels; a partnership with The Guardian; as well as a busy advertising program.
Cooperative promotions with air and sea carriers, as well as online travel agents, are also underway.
Economy Minister Gordon Lyons said: “Tourism is an extremely important industry for Northern Ireland and a key driver of our economy.
“In fact, before the pandemic hit us all, 2019 was the best year ever for foreign tourism to Northern Ireland, when we welcomed over 2.2 million foreign visitors, a significant number of which came from the market. British.
“We have a great product for visitors across Northern Ireland including the beautiful Causeway Coastal Route, historic Derry, the fantastic Lakelands of Fermanagh and of course our capital, Belfast, with our maritime history brought to the fore at Titanic Belfast, a true world class tourist attraction.
“The UK market is vitally important to our tourism industry.
“I have no doubts that this campaign will show the best that Northern Ireland has to offer.
“With the TV commercials alone expected to be seen by almost 13 million people across Britain, I believe this campaign will help convince tourists to visit Northern Ireland.
He added, “Our tour operators, tourist attractions and accommodation providers have worked hard to introduce new safety measures and precautions to ensure the safety of visitors and staff.”
Niall Gibbons, Managing Director of Tourism Ireland, said: “We are delighted to unveil our new £ 5million campaign to promote Northern Ireland in Britain – which will showcase our great cities, our spectacular landscapes and the many things to see and do here.
“As we begin to rebuild our tourism business from the very important UK market, our aim is to remind potential visitors that Northern Ireland is the perfect destination for a short break or vacation.
“Tourism Ireland will do everything to attract as much business as possible to Northern Ireland over the next few months,” Niall added.
