Tourism Ireland in Spain has unveiled details of the exciting Belfast 2024 programme of culture, at an event in Barcelona attended by 35 leading Spanish travel professionals and journalists.

Three tourism companies from Belfast – Belfast Millie Tours, Titanic Distillers and Visit Belfast – joined Tourism Ireland at the event. Guests were entertained by Belfast-born singer-songwriter Winnie Ama and were updated on some of the great new tourism experiences in Belfast.

Belfast 2024 is a yearlong programme of culture and creativity, which will build upon the city’s designation as a UNESCO City of Music, as well as its literary reputation. It provides Tourism Ireland with another great hook to promote Northern Ireland this year. The organisation is shining a spotlight on Belfast as a great choice for Spanish holidaymakers who want to discover more about our culture. The event was also a good opportunity for Tourism Ireland to highlight ease of access from this part of Spain to Northern Ireland, with direct flights with easyJet from Barcelona to Belfast.

Susan Bolger, Tourism Ireland’s Manager Spain, said: “We were delighted to unveil some of the highlights of Belfast 2024 at our event in Barcelona to our important Spanish travel professionals and journalists. Our aim is to inspire Spanish holidaymakers to put Belfast and Northern Ireland on their holiday ‘wish-list’ for this year, to come and discover more about our culture. The event was also an excellent opportunity to highlight ease of access from this part of Spain, with direct flights from Barcelona to Belfast.”

Some of the Belfast 2024 events highlighted at the Tourism Ireland event in Barcelona included:

  • Midsummer at the Lyric: an outdoor theatre spectacle which will put a new spin on a Shakespeare classic.
  • Water Works: an ambition to launch 10,000 boats on the River Lagan to celebrate Belfast’s maritime heritage.
  • Shadowdock: an immersive display of light, shadow, colour and sound in the iconic dock where the Titanic was launched.
  • A Century of Stories with the Ulster Orchestra: a celebration of Belfast’s local music scene and its designation as a UNESCO City of Music.