America250 Experience Development Programme 

With support from the Department for Communities under the US-NI250 Scheme, Tourism NI has created an experience development programme to draw out those strong historical connections between Northern Ireland and the United States.

In 2026, the United States celebrates the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It is formally recognised that people from Northern Ireland played key roles in the formation of the United States.  Several of the Founding Fathers originally hailed from Northern Ireland, while others from these shores influenced many aspects of life in America during that period.

The focus of the programme will be to create/enhance experiences linked to the Declaration of Independence (1776), and life in America during the period immediately before and after it, recognising the central figures and the cultural influence of those with Northern Ireland heritage.

The traditions, the stories, and the roots are here.  They are inspirers for our Northern Ireland - Embrace a Giant Spirit brand. Now is the time to develop them and share them with our visitors, particularly those who travel from the United States. 

It is our ambition to further enhance the destination as a place for authentic culture and heritage; we want to increase the availability of innovative stories and demand generating tourism experiences across Northern Ireland.  

 We are therefore inviting experiences that can develop market-ready offers aligned with the America250 opportunity and broader market demand from the United States to attend an online information session on Thursday 5th March, 2 - 3:30pm  

Purpose

This session will provide insights into an exciting new opportunity, aimed at supporting providers to develop or enhance an experience connected to the Ulster-Scots/Scotch-Irish and/or Irish who contributed to the events of the American Revolutionary period, and the Ulster men who signed the Declaration of Independence.   

We will also explore the opportunities to show Northern Ireland’s wider influence on American culture, and how revolutionary ideas and local traditions such as language, music, dance and food shaped the New World.  

Creating and supporting legacy products from America 250 will greatly enhance Northern Ireland’s attractiveness to local, national, and international visitors, helping to drive tourism’s positive impact on the local and regional economy.  

Format  

To facilitate attendance by as many as possible, the initial information session will take place virtually via a Zoom link.  

Who should attend?  

The proposed programme is open to early learner and experienced participants and will encompass a series of activities designed to deliver a legacy for America 250 and the objective of celebrating our connections with America. This includes:  

  • providers/businesses that have never worked in tourism with the potential to deliver a compelling related experience  
  • an existing business/provider who wishes to enhance their offer  
  • providers/businesses from across Northern Ireland, inspiring visitors to explore our connections with America throughout the destination  
  • providers who can offer opportunities for people to engage with relevant arts and cultural activities  
  • Providers with ideas for experiences that take place in the evening and during off-peak times are particularly welcomed.  

What kind of experiences are expected? 

Tourism NI is seeking to take a multi-layered approach that combines historical authenticity, community engagement, and creative, place-based storytelling.   

The programme should encourage the development of tourism experiences that are community-led and culturally rooted and reflect diverse cultural narratives, including Ulster-Scots, Scotch-Irish, and Irish contributions to American history during the late 18th Century.  

NOTE: As places are limited, submitting an expression of interest does not guarantee a place on the programme. It is also essential that you are able to commit to attending all sessions to complete the programme and this will form part of the shortlisting criteria.  In addition to the introductory session, an in-person workshop will take place on Tuesday, 10th March from 10am-4pm.

*Please note experiences should aim to run a minimum of 12 times per annum to be considered for the programme.

The experiences that emerge via this programme will:  

  • Be inspiring for global visitors  
  • Be capable of increasing dwell-time, economic benefits and year-round business  
  • Be Bookable online  

What will happen on Thursday 5th March? 

This information session will include the following:  

  • An insight into why cultural experiences with strong American links are key for Northern Ireland  
  • The framework, purpose, and expectations of the programme  
  • Outcomes and sample experiences anticipated from the programme  
  • Requirements and criteria for progression into the programme  
  • Programme dates for the diary  
  • A Q&A session to address queries  

What will the next steps be?  

Successful participants that meet the criteria will need to be available for a participants group session on Thursday 12th March (full day in person session, with the venue location to be confirmed) and also outline your idea for a new tourism experience.  

The programme will run from February - April 2026 to include training, mentoring and market testing on scheduled dates.  

You can register for the information session using the form below. 

Deadline for expression of interest for this programme is Wednesday 25th February at 4pm.

Expression of Interest Form