A SERIES of events set to draw people to Northern Ireland over the next 12 months are expected to bring a £21m boost to the economy.
Some 570,000 visitors – 29 per cent of whom will be from outside of the North – are due to visit for the festivals, concerts and sporting fixtures which take place throughout the rest of 2026 and into 2027.
Those visitors will result in almost 120,000 nights of accommodation being booked – at hotels, B&B, guesthouses, and self-catering venues across the region.
The six events are the North West 200 motorcycle road race in 2027, the Foyle Maritime Festival, the Stendhal Festival, the SuperCupNI, the Derry Halloween festival and the Other Voices music festival.
NI Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe ArchibaldEach event is funded through Tourism Northern Ireland’s International Tourism Events Fund (ITEF).
“Tourism is flourishing in the north west, with overnight stays increasing in both the Derry and Strabane and Causeway Coast and Glens areas,” Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald said this week.
“As Economy Minister I’m backing this growth in tourism with funding for six major tourism events in the North-West area,” she added.
“These events are expected to deliver a boost of almost £21 million for the local economy, supporting businesses and workers as well as the wider north west region.”
She explained: “They put our rich sporting, musical and cultural heritage in the spotlight and all against a backdrop of our beautiful landscapes, experiences, food and welcoming spirit.
“It’s great to see the growth in the north west’s economy and tourism is a key part of that success.”
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