Tourism Northern Ireland launches 14 new America250 visitor experiences

(L-R): Julie Andrews, from Linen Hall Library, John Kelly, from McConnell’s Distillery, Ruth McEwan-Lyon, from NI Silver,  Ian Snowden, Permanent Secretary at the Department for the Economy, David Huddleston, Director and Deputy Keeper at the Public Record Office for Northern Ireland (Department for Communities), Liz Steele, Culture and Heritage Tourism Manager at Tourism NI, and Keith Wright, from Foyle Family History Centre, pictured at the launch of Tourism NI’s new America250 visitor experiences

From jewellery-making and whiskey tours to an Ancestral Cottage Trail, ancestry research and guided walks, Tourism NI has worked with the tourism industry to develop the new immersive experiences.

The new products will enhance the tourism offerings that connect the people from Northern Ireland who have influenced America - from the Declaration of Independence through to the migration of the Ulster-Scots and Irish over generations.

Funded by the Department for Communities USA-NI250 Scheme, the America250 Experience Development Programme has been launched to tie in with the 250^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence which takes place this year.

Northern Ireland and the US share a rich tapestry of cultural connections, reflecting their intertwined histories and shared heritage.

In 2025, US visitors took 186,000 trips to Northern Ireland, spend 638,000 nights in the region and spent £54 million reinforcing the market’s strategic importance.

Earlier this year, Tourism NI launched a search for new experiences which combine historical authenticity, community engagement, and creative storytelling.

The experiences had to be place based, culturally rooted and reflect diverse cultural narratives, including Ulster-Scots, Scotch-Irish, and Irish contributions to American history during the late 18^th Century.

The 14 new experiences, which were launched this week at McConnell’s Distillery, are based in and around Belfast, the North-West, Mid Ulster and counties Antrim and Down. 

Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald said: “The connections on this island with America run deep.  There are centuries of shared history, from the Ulster influence on the Declaration of Independence, to the migration of Ulster-Scots and Irish communities, whose legacy continues to shape America today. 

“These connections continue to be a powerful driver for tourism.   In 2025, visitors from the US made almost 200,000 trips here contributing £54 million to our economy.  This clearly demonstrates both the strength of this market and the opportunity for future growth. 

“I therefore very much welcome this exciting new series of America 250 tourism experiences to add to our existing tourism offering and commend all involved for the innovation, creativity and commitment that have helped bring these experiences to life.”

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said: “I am delighted that new tourism experiences have been developed through Department for Communities funding that reflect our shared cultural heritage with the US and build on the legacy of connection between Northern Ireland and America.

“America250 is a historic milestone, and it is right that both local and international audiences can now find out more about those close links and our common history that continues to bind us together.”

Liz Steele, Culture and Heritage Tourism Manager at Tourism NI, said: “These new experiences are a welcome addition to our tourism offering.

“The participants have used a diverse range of themes to bring to life our cultural and historic connections with one of our largest out of state markets.  

“America250 presented us with opportunity to develop this programme to create experiences that will motivate our visitors to actively engage with the destination, not just this year, but for years to come.”

The 14 new America250 Visitor Experiences are:

• NI Silver - Scots Irish Heritage Jewellery Making
• Foyle Family History Centre - Find Your Irish Roots: An Introduction to Genealogy and Family History
• McConnell’s Distillery - Evening of Irish Whiskey and Dance
• Linen Hall Library - Founding Freedom: The Linen Hall & the Story Behind America’s Independence
• The Northern Whig - Raise a Glass to Revolution: Belfast’s Benjamin Franklin Experience
• Moyletra Moileds - From the Bann Valley: Land, Cattle and Story - Rare Cattle, Shared Traditions, and the Atlantic Crossing
• Derrie Danders - We The people… The Journey from ‘Derry to America
• The National Trust/Gray’s Printing Press - Ink & Independence
• Knitfield Ireland - Rig and Fur, the lost stitch revival
• Montalto Estate - The Rebel and the Redcoat: Montalto Estate’s Scotch-Irish Revolution Journey
• Sustainable Journeys Ireland and The Cuan - Ulster-Scots Heritage Trail: The Scots-Irish Story of County Down
• Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and Mid Ulster Borough Council - The Presidents, Heritage & Homecomings: The Ancestral Cottage Trail
• Walsh’s Hotel - From Upperlands to the New World: Charles Thomson’s Table
• The Migrant’s Walk - From Cantogher to Congress’