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In recent years Northern Ireland and its capital city Belfast, have seen increased visitor numbers and a series of tourism development initiatives have been put in place. The city of Belfast has a number of attractions and is very much associated with the liner Titanic since the ship was built in Belfast one hundred years ago. The countryside of Northern Ireland contains a variety of landscapes and some spectacular coastal scenery.
For over 25 years, Northern Ireland hardly existed as a tourist destination. The civil unrest and violence which began in 1969 virtually destroyed the incoming tour business and many people associated the country with guns and bombs. Whilst many tourists from UK, Europe and North America visited the Republic of Ireland, few dared to cross the border.
The city of Belfast developed over time with mixed populations of Anglicans, Scottish Presbyterians and native Irish Roman Catholics. During the height of ‘The Troubles’ terrorist groups linked to different religions were involved in a series of bombings and murders. These different religious groups lived in separate areas of the city and this is still very much the case today. Murals, painted on walls and the sides of houses give clues as to which religious group lives in the area.
Much of the civil unrest was focused on Belfast, but during the height of ‘The Troubles’ conflict between the religious groups spread to many towns within Northern Ireland. Sporadic violence between religious groups has always given the city an “edgy” feel and even to this day, minor disputes rapidly escalate to headline-making news. The link below provides an example of the localised unrest which still occurs from time to time.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-19483426The situation began to change in the mid 90s after the terrorist groups declared ceasefires. With their personal safety assured, many people were curious to see a country where media reports had spoken about the tragedy of “The Troubles” taking place in such beautiful countryside.
The Belfast Agreement of 1998 set up the new institutions of government and, although it was to be five more years until the Northern Ireland Assembly began work in earnest, the atmosphere of peace and normality was quickly restored and consequently, visitor numbers began to climb.
Northern Ireland is a unique destination within the British Isles. The six counties of Northern Ireland have total land area of just over 5,200 square miles, its diversity lies in its scenery: lakes, coastline, mountains up to 3,000 feet and the spectacular World Heritage Site that is the Giants Causeway, which attracts over 850,000 visitors a year. It is the only part of the United Kingdom which shares a land boundary with another EU member, although Northern Ireland still uses the pound sterling while the Republic of Ireland uses the euro.
EVIDENCE LOG 1 – Travelling by ferry
Research the Stena Line and P&O ferries websites to complete the table on the Evidence Log. Can you provide details of four ferry routes between Great Britain and Ireland?
EVIDENCE LOG 2 – Travelling by air
Using the websites of the four airports in Northern Ireland and Dublin airport, complete the table below.
http://www.dublinairport.com
http://www.belfastcityairport.com
http://www.belfastairport.com
http://www.cityofderryairport.com
From which of the four airports above could you fly to? (Some destinations might be served by more than one airport).
Northern Ireland has good ferry connections to Great Britain with the main ferry terminals at Larne and Belfast offering routes to ports in England and Scotland. The province is also served by three airports, two in Belfast and one in Londonderry. The two Belfast airports compete fiercely for business, with major airlines such as Aer Lingus, easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways often moving routes from one airport to another to offer new routes and increase passenger numbers. Air links to other parts of the United Kingdom are good, and have continued to improve in recent years. However, its connections to Europe and North America are limited in comparison with competitors such as Dublin airport.
One factor that makes calculating visits to Northern Ireland difficult is that there are no border checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Every day thousands of people cross between the two parts of Ireland for a number of reasons. Tourists travelling by car can easily enter Northern Ireland by car after flying into Dublin airport or travelling by ferry to a port within the Republic of Ireland.