Tourism NI Marketing Campaign

Segments

Open Minded Explorers (15%)

• Open Minded Explorers make up 15% of the Republic of Ireland market. They’re the second largest segment by volume and have medium to high intentions to visit Northern Ireland.
• They are interested in the natural environment and scenic attractions. They are motivated by culture and are seeking unique experiences.
• Good food is very important and highly motivating for Open Minded Explorers and they also want high quality accommodation.
• They’re an older segment and are concerned about their personal safety and health.
• Value for Money is very important for Open Minded Explorers.

Demographics:

Open Minded Explorers are older with an average age of 45-54. They’re more likely to be female, ABC1, with older kids. Their estimated spend is £925.

Indulgent Relaxers (11%)

• Indulgent Relaxers make up 11% of the Republic of Ireland market. They are relatively high spending with high intention to visit in the short term.
• They are the segment most likely to take a romantic break as their next break. Indulgent Relaxers are motivated by the opportunity to spend time with family or friends on short breaks.
• They prefer to stay in large comfortable hotels. They love to indulge themselves when on a short break.
• They really enjoy good food and music and are often interested in shopping opportunities while on a short break.

Demographics:

Indulgent Relaxers are 35-54 on average. They are relatively high spending with high intention to visit in the short-term. They are more likely to be female with children. Their estimated spend is £1013.

Visitor Insights

For the RoI market Northern Ireland brings a sense of newness and variety but it needs to be framed strongly in value for money, quality perception and authenticity to be actively chosen.

Value for money is under pressure

Although NI continues to be seen as offering better value than ROI or GB, the gap has closed in recent research waves. It will be important to focus on value for RoI audiences and the range of options available to enhance appeal.

Have fun

For many of the ROI audience, the top motivations for a trip to NI are to have fun, relax, escape, enjoy food & drink. 

Variety is vital

Visitors most often experienced shopping, restaurants and pubs, with younger demos more interested in sightseeing tours and older families more interested in scenic walks.

Authentically NI

Northern Ireland is seen as offering an alternative to the tried and tested locations in ROI. This sense of difference is a key consideration driver, but should be framed positively and with authenticity to help build enough confidence to plan and book.

Cost of living

Cost of living is still the top barrier to travel, although it has decreased vs. September 2024. Some consumers may avoid holidays altogether, but NI remains attractive, helped by its experiences and food and drink offering, as well as its perceived value.

Segments

Natural Quality Seekers (15%)

• Natural Quality Seekers make up 15% of the Northern Ireland market. With an average age of 55, short breaks are a very important part of their lives.
• The quality of accommodation is a very important consideration for Natural Quality Seekers.
• They love to plan and like to have clear itineraries.
• They are nature lovers and enjoy the outdoors, but their preference is for gentle activities. Sustainability is important for this segment.

Demographics:

Natural Quality Seekers are older, with an Average Age of 55. They are more likely to be male, ABC1, with older kids. Their estimated spend is £1,238.

Visitor Insights

People in NI are looking for more cost-effective options, with relaxation and family and friends bonding time at the forefront of their minds when planning a trip.

Travel intent fluctuates

Day trip intentions increase with under-35s but over-55s travel intentions have dropped across all trip categories (day trips, short break and long breaks).

Cost of living is affecting choices

Cost of living and the weather in NI are reported as the biggest barriers to taking a break in NI. However, there is a general reduction in barriers to taking a holiday in NI compared to the previous research wave.

Something to suit all budgets

NI continues to be rated more positively than ROI and GB for value for money, with Shopping and accommodation improving but alcohol and paid activities taking a hit. It's important to integrate value-for-money messaging into all of our activities.

Relaxation is key

Relaxation and family / friend bonding time are key for those planning trips over the coming months. Escaping is still a strong motivating factor but it has seen a drop.

City breaks on the rise

City breaks are seeing an increase in preference vs. March 2024 - possibly down to the younger demographic planning trips.

However, coastal breaks are still the top type of break preferred.

Our digital plans include a focus on specific destinations on some of our channels at different times during the campaign.

Aligning your marketing activity with ours will help to maximise Northern Ireland’s share of voice in the domestic and Republic of Ireland markets. If you’re planning activity across your own channels, please use the timings below to plan your content and offers:

• Causeway Coastal Route - w/c 22nd Sept
• Fermanagh & Tyrone - w/c29th Sept
• Derry~Londonderry- w/c 6th Oct
• Mournes & Strangford - w/c 13th Oct
• Armagh & Down - w/c 20th Oct
• Belfast - w/c 27th Oct

We've curated a suite of Campaign Photography and Social Media assets that you can use on your own channels and in support of your marketing activity.

Social Media plays a big role in helping visitors discover new places, plan and share their Giant Adventures. We have created a suite of free, downloadable campaign social posts, frames, banners and more, that you can use on Facebook, Instagram and X.

And don't forget to download the Northern Ireland Embrace a Giant Spirit brand mark for use across your marketing channels.

A selection of photography, video and social media assets can be downloaded from our Content Pool. Visit Northern Ireland's Content Pool and once registered, you can access a wide range of supporting materials. Due to the upcoming Content Pool Migration, the Autumn Campaign assets will be available at this publicly shareable link.

Get Involved in our Marketing campaign!

Boost your visibility by incorporating our ready-to-use social media templates into your own marketing activity. Whether it's for stories or your feed, these assets make it easy to showcase your special offers and promote great value for money this Autumn.

Keep the audience motivations in mind; ROI audiences are motivated by fun and excitement & NI audiences are driven by the desire to relax and unwind.

Tailor your messaging accordingly & tag us @discoverni to create engaging content on your own channels that we can curate and share.

A key driver of our success in recent years has been how we have worked together in close partnership to maximise our presence in the marketplace.

It is more important than ever that we continue to collaborate under the Embrace a Giant Spirit brand framework and that we align our messaging and media buying when possible.

Quite simply, when we work together, our activity is much more impactful.

Download the Awakening our Giant Spirit Brand Book and find out more about unlocking Northern Ireland's Giant Spirit.

The Discover Northern Ireland website is a trusted source of inspiration, information and support for visitors to Northern Ireland. 4 million visitors used our website last year to plan or book their short break.

It’s packed with practical advice, insider tips, guides, itineraries, and entertaining and informative blog posts to give visitors a flavour of what to expect on their next Giant Adventure in Northern Ireland.

If you’re a certified accommodation provider, a visitor attraction or an experience, a listing on the Discover Northern Ireland website is a great way to showcase your business to thousands of people each day. To create your free listing:

1. Visit TourismNI.com
2. Create an account by following the Sign Up link.
3. Follow the steps to create your listing.

The best-performing listings are 300-350 words. Photography is a great way to bring your listing to life. Include your address, telephone numbers, URLs, prices, and any other information that you think is important for visitors.

This campaign is open to TNI graded 3* and above hotels, guesthouses, guest accommodation, self-catering, B&Bs.

It is also open to visitor attractions, experiences, and hospitality venues that have a current listing on discovernorthernireland.com.

• Complete the form.
• Promotions/Offers should be clear; any terms and conditions must be stated on the application form.
• Promotions/Offers should be available for the duration of the campaign, 22 September - 10th November 2025
• Exclusion dates must be clearly listed.
• It is your responsibility to ensure that you regularly update the offer via the extranet portal to ensure that all information is up-to-date and accurate.

Forms should be returned to a.murray@tourismni.com as soon as possible.

Tourism Northern Ireland will;

• Review all Promotions/offers to ensure they are accurate and available.
• Regularly conduct audits on the promotions/offers featured.
• Where promotions/offers are deemed no longer available or cannot be substantiated, Tourism NI will remove these from all future promotional activity during the campaign period.