Attractions and Events
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Belfast is an easy city to find your way around with streets steeped in history and great food and live music around every corner. So plan to stay a while and see as many of the famous sites and sounds as you can.
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Good Relations Week
Good Relations Week 2021 takes place from will run from Monday 20th to Sunday 26th September 2021.
This year we have re-introduced physical events, alongside an expanded virtual offering.
The theme is ‘Brighter Days Ahead’ as we shine a light on the peace building and cultural diversity efforts of young people and the challenges they are facing.
Our programme of inspiring community relations events will celebrate the work of people and communities in creating and sustaining good relations.
Huge thanks to all local groups and organisations who’ve helped us put together a dynamic programme of highly impactful events for you to enjoy
Whatever you do, don’t miss it!
Pictured with Peter Day from the Community Relations Council (front, left) and Clare Kearney (front, right) and Conor Valente (front, centre) from the Belfast Skate Collective, a local group that is providing a voice for the skating community, is local skaters Nicole Smallwood; Adam Patton, Caleb Court, James Ferris, Taylor Allen, Reuben Hughes, James Hannigan, Jake Murray and Matt McCopippin.
It s a Walk in the Park
A new ‘Civic Dollars’ mobile phone app, developed with support from Belfast City Council and the Department of Justice means that people can now earn rewards for the time they spend in their local parks and open spaces.
The Connswater Community Greenway will be the first area to go live in the free pilot scheme, followed by other parks across the city. Funded through the ‘Amazing Spaces, Smart Places’ project, the scheme is part of the council’s Smart Belfast programme, which is exploring how data and innovative technologies can create smart solutions for urban challenges and help to improve city services.
Lord Mayor Councillor Kate Nicholl said: “Exercising outside and connecting with nature really can help our mental wellbeing. So it’s fantastic that, thanks to this pilot scheme, people can now earn Civic Dollars for the time they spend in our parks and open spaces. They can enjoy rewards including Translink DayLink passes and tickets to visitor attractions or support their local community group by donating Civic Dollars to them.
“The Civic Dollars app also provides a promotional platform for local businesses, services and events - and the insights we’ll gather will help us to better understand how people use green spaces, improve park management, reduce vandalism, littering and anti-social behaviour and enhance the visitor experience.”
A number of Belfast-based community groups can benefit from donated Civic Dollars, exchanging them for various services such as business training, professional advice and activity centre sessions.
The ‘Amazing Spaces, Smart Places’ project is jointly funded by Belfast City Council and the Department of Justice via the Department for the Economy’s Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), which enables the public sector to tap into new ideas and technologies created by innovative local businesses. It also gives innovators a great opportunity to trial and test their prototype in a supportive real-world environment as part of their product development.
Justice Minister, Naomi Long said: “Effectively managing public open spaces is a key element in developing a safe community, where we respect the law and each other.
“The Civic Dollars pilot scheme holds the potential to deliver real benefits to local communities by using technology to improve the safe use of our parks and open spaces; something that is so important for both physical and mental health. Congratulations to all involved in this innovative pilot scheme and I look forward to hearing how it has progressed as more people use it in the coming weeks and months.”
Stephen McPeake, CEO of local company Moai Digital Ltd and creator of the Civic Dollars app, added:“It’s been fantastic to have this opportunity to apply a tech based solution to Belfast City Council’s challenge of better managing their parks and open spaces. And it’s wonderful to know that local people, businesses and community groups will all benefit as a result when people download and use the Civic Dollars app. Life these days is about so much more than just money – it’s about improving our communities, and our own health and wellbeing – Civic Dollars provides the perfect solution with a new social currency. It’s a win win all round!”
The CivicDollars app can be downloaded free from the App Store or Google Play Store. The pilot will run until the end of Summer 2021.
For more information about the project, visit www.belfastcity.gov.uk/amazingspaces
Keeping Belfast Clean
Windows to the World
Tourism Ireland gifts Game of Thrones® stained-glass windows to Belfast
With 70% of the production of Game of Thrones® taking place in Northern Ireland, the award winning series will be a key feature of Northern Ireland's tourism offering for years to come. The amazing scenery and the skills and services which Northern Ireland provided made the show the success it has become. It is fitting then that the windows which depict scenes from the series will have a permanent home in Belfast
Tourism Ireland has gifted its six ‘Glass of Thrones’ stained-glass windows to Maritime Belfast Trust (formerly Titanic Foundation Limited). The windows are now on permanent display in the Titanic Quarter and are part of Belfast’s Maritime Mile.
The beautifully crafted windows were installed around Belfast back in 2019 – to showcase and celebrate Northern Ireland as ‘Game of Thrones® Territory’ to millions of fans of the TV series around the world. The windows – which each depicted a key House from the show – marked a decade of filming and production in Northern Ireland and the installation was timed to coincide with the broadcast of the final season. The campaign – called ‘Glass of Thrones’ – was created by Tourism Ireland and Tourism NI, in partnership with HBO.
As travel from overseas to Northern Ireland begins to restart, the ‘Glass of Thrones’ installation will be an important new attraction for fans of the hit TV series visiting Belfast and Northern Ireland. Tourism Ireland will take every opportunity to promote the ‘Glass of Thrones’ in Belfast’s Maritime Mile, as well as our Game of Thrones® filming locations, in its promotions around the world.
Shane Clarke, Tourism Ireland’s Director of Corporate Services, Policy & Northern Ireland, said: “We are delighted to announce the handover of our ‘Glass of Thrones’ to Maritime Belfast Trust. It is really wonderful that these beautiful pieces of art are now permanently on display in Belfast, as part of the Maritime Mile – enhancing our ‘Game of Thrones’ offering and creating a new attraction for fans to come and visit. As overseas travel to Northern Ireland begins to restart, Tourism Ireland will continue to highlight Northern Ireland around the world, reminding people that Northern Ireland is ‘Game of Thrones® Territory’. Our aim is to spike their curiosity about the landscapes and locations featured in the series and inspire them to come and explore them for themselves.”
Kerrie Sweeney, CEO of Maritime Belfast Trust, said: “The six Glass of Thrones installations have become key features of the Maritime Mile, celebrating the role Titanic Studios played in the filming of Game of Thrones. We are delighted to work with all our partners, Belfast Harbour, Titanic Quarter Limited, Odyssey Trust and Department for Communities, to feature the landmark artworks on their respective sites, linking our key heritage assets together. Over the last year, we have had over 1,000 local people a day admiring the installations and we look forward to welcoming more visitors and local people to the area over the summer months and beyond.”
Julie McLaughlin, Experience Development Officer at Tourism NI, commented: “Game of Thrones has been transformative for tourism in Northern Ireland and our joint campaigns have captured the minds and hearts of fans around the world, showcasing Northern Ireland as a must see destination. The six Glass of Thrones were installed at tourist landmarks across Belfast and have proved a firm hit. The installations, now a permanent feature along Belfast’s Maritime Mile, give visitors another way to explore the Game of Thrones story in Northern Ireland and to delve deeper into its rich heritage.”
Tourism Ireland’s ‘Glass of Thrones’ campaign in 2019 was seen by more than 4 million GoT fans in ten markets – including Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Scandinavia. It delivered positive coverage for Northern Ireland worth over £30 million. The campaign was also rolled out by Tourism NI in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Earlier this week, the ‘Glass of Thrones’ campaign won a Bronze Lion award at the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the outdoor category. The Cannes Lions awards are highly coveted and generally regarded as the Oscars of the advertising and marketing world.
Shane Clarke, Tourism Ireland’s Director of Corporate Services, Policy & Northern Ireland; Kerrie Sweeney, CEO, Maritime Belfast Trust; and Julie McLaughlin, Experience Development Officer, Tourism NI, at the Stark window in Belfast’s Maritime Mile.
Giant Promotion
New promotional blitz targets travellers in GB for short breaks and holidays in Northern Ireland
Campaign will be seen by millions and reach 80% of all adults in GB
Tourism Ireland has launched a £5 million, multi-media promotional campaign, to boost travel to Northern Ireland from GB over the coming months. The campaign, which is running under the banner ‘Northern Ireland – Embrace a Giant Spirit’, will be seen by millions and will reach at least 80% of all adults in GB. It will generate demand now and drive bookings for short breaks and holidays in Northern Ireland.
The extensive campaign will include advertising on major TV channels and on catch-up TV sites; digital outdoor advertising at more than 500 locations across GB; ads on popular digital and social channels; a partnership with The Guardian; as well as a busy programme of publicity. Co-operative promotions with air and sea carriers, as well as online travel agents, are also under way.
Economy Minister Gordon Lyons MLA, said:
“Tourism is an enormously important industry for Northern Ireland and a key driver of our economy. In fact, before the pandemic hit us all, 2019 was the best year ever for overseas tourism to Northern Ireland, when we welcomed over 2.2 million overseas visitors, a significant number of which came from the GB market.
“We have a terrific product for visitors on offer across Northern Ireland, including the beautiful Causeway Coastal Route, the historic city of Londonderry, the fantastic lakelands of Fermanagh, and, of course, our capital city, Belfast, with our maritime history highlighted at Titanic Belfast, a truly world-class visitor attraction.
“The GB market is a vitally important one for our tourism industry and I am confident that this campaign will show the best of what Northern Ireland has to offer. With the TV ads alone set to be viewed by almost 13 million people across GB, I believe this campaign will help convince tourists to visit Northern Ireland. Our tour operators, visitor attractions and accommodation providers have worked hard to introduce new safety measures and precautions to help ensure visitors and staff are kept safe.”
Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said:
“We are delighted to unveil our new £5 million campaign to promote Northern Ireland in GB – which will highlight our great cities, spectacular scenery and the many things to see and do here. As we begin to rebuild our tourism business from the all-important GB market, our aim is to remind prospective visitors that Northern Ireland is the perfect destination for a short break or holiday. Tourism Ireland will be pulling out all the stops to drive as much business as possible to Northern Ireland over the coming months.”
GB is an important market for tourism to Northern Ireland. Before COVID-19, in 2019, we welcomed almost 1.5 million GB visitors to Northern Ireland, whose visits generated £369 million in revenue.
Pictured at the Giant's Causeway are (l-r) Christopher Brooke, Vice-Chairman of Tourism Ireland; Gordon Lyons MLA, Minister for the Economy; Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland; and Esther Dobbin, Giant's Causeway, at the launch of Tourism Ireland’s promotional campaign to boost travel to Northern Ireland from GB.
On the Road to Recovery
In April 2020, Diane Dodds MLA, the Northern Ireland Economy Minister, established and chaired a Tourism Recovery Steering Group to assist in responding to the immediate, and devastating, impact of COVID-19 on the tourism and hospitality industry. The Group, which brought together stakeholders from industry, central and local government, was tasked with developing a Tourism Recovery Action Plan aimed at ensuring the survival, and subsequent recovery, of the tourism and hospitality industry from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Minister also established a supporting Tourism Recovery Working Group, chaired by John McGrillen, the Chief Executive of Tourism NI, to lead on engagement with all sectors of the tourism and hospitality industry. The Working Group was supported by over 100 stakeholders via 10 Task and Finish Groups. After a number of months of research and consultation the experts have produced a Recovery plan aimed at getting the tourism sector back on its feet.
At CWA as we support local Chinese businesses many of which are in the catering and hospitality sector and other local tourism businesses geared to international visitors we will be working in line with the strategic recovery plan.
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Visit Northern China
Top China Destinations
China is not only one of the largest countries in the world, but also one of the most popular travel destinations in the world. More than 55 million travelers from all over the globe swarm to China, then scatter to different region of the vast land each year. The diverse geographic forms create some of the best landscape in the world – beautiful mountains, rivers and gorges in southern China, splendid gobi and desert on the northwest, dominating high plateaus on the southwest, vast grasslands in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, etc. Most charming highlight of China is its fabulous culture and history made by its more than 5,000 years old civilization. Any of the longlasting imperial culture, folk culture, or the art of poem, calligraphy, painting and others, is enough for you to get amazed by the extensiveness and profoundness of Chinese culture. So where to explore above featured culture? Of course from the historical cities and destinations, such as Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, etc.
Learn about the history, culture, attractions, transportation, weather and other travel information about a destination that you are planning to visit is very necessary. So, based on the local expertise knowledge and experience, China Discovery has collected the most popular destinations all of which are unique and easily accessed for you to find your idea destination to go.
Northern China
The northern region used to the culture center of China. It is also the cradle of Chinese civilization. Here are three greatest ancient capital cities – Beijing, Xian and Luoyang. Dunhuang, the important destination of ancient Silk Road, has the most fabulous Buddhism arts. Pingyao is famous for its Shanxi Merchants’ culture. Datong is fascinating for its Buddhism sculpture art and gorgeous temples.
BEIJING
Beijing is the capital city of the People’s Republic of China and the political, cultural and economic center of China. It has a glorious history which can be dated back three millennia. The most highlighting part is its great role of the ancient capital city since the past eight centuries. The city preserves the most magnificent imperial culture of China, including numerous historical architectures, relics, tradition, etc. Many world famous tourist sites are located in or near Beijing, such as Forbidden City, Great Wall of China, Temple of Heaven, etc.
Why visit Beijing:
- City of World Heritage Sites - Beijing preserves seven World Heritage Sites declared by UNESCO (Great Wall, Forbidden City, Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Ming Dynasty Tombs and Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal), ranking first among all the cities around the world. Visiting these sites helps travelers to touch the best essence of ancient Chinese culture and history.
- Great Wall of China - Though the Great Wall sketches though more than a half territory of northern China, the best pieces which are regarded as the masterpiece are located in Beijing, such as Badaling Great Wall, Mutianyu Great Wall, Jinshanling Great Wall, etc.
- Transportation Hub of China - Beijing is the most important transportation hub of both the economy and tourism. It is mostly chosen as an international flight arrival city. Furthermore, the flights and trains radiate to most other regions of China, including the far western Xinjiang, Tibet, etc.
XIAN
Located at the center of China, the capital city of Shanxi Province - Xian, together with Athens, Rome and Cairo, are called as the top four ancient capitals in history. 13 dynasties had settled capital in Xian from the 11th century BC to the 10th century AD, and that is why the UNESCO listed Xian as the World Historical and Cultural City in 1981.
Rich history endows Xian with unique charms as a tourist city. As the home to world-famed Terracotta Warriors and Horses and as the start point of Silk Road, through which China had conducted the most important economy and culture communication with the western world, Xian draws numerous tourists with its enormous historical sites and cultural landscapes, and gives you a chance to explore the ancient China.
Why visit Xian:
- Terracotta Warriors and Horses - There is no doubt that the Terracotta Warriors and Horses is the highlight of Xian. Buried in the ground for over 2000 years and discovered in 1974, the Terracotta Army not only matters in the art history, showing the highly skilled sculpture area of ancient China, but also fills the archeological blank of Qin Dynasty, presenting the ancient army array and revealing the ancient weapon technology.
- Ancient Capital - No city in China is like Xian with such abundant history. As the most famous ancient capital city in Chinese history, though the dynastic times had gone, Xian still reserves many historical sites and cultural relics, which are the best way to experience the ancient China, the old and glorious days of China.
LUOYANG
Luoyang, in the western part of Henan province, is known to all as the "capital for 13 dynasties" and "city of peonies". Located along the northern side of Luo River, Luoyang is a cradle of Chinese civilization and one of the four imperial capitals of China, together with Beijing, Xian and Nanjing.
Through the ups and downs of ancient dynasties, Luoyang has some famous historical sites like Longmen Grottoes and White Horse Temple for tourists to know its past. Dotted with old-style buildings, the Luoyang old city will take you to enjoy the local life.
Why visit this city:
- 13 ancient capitals of China - The profound history and culture of different dynasties such as Northern Wei dynasty and Tang dynasty all left marks in Luoyang.
- The unparalleled historical sites - The world heritage site-Longmen Grottoes, the first Chinese temple-White Horse Temple and the biggest tomb complex - Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum.
- Luoyang Peony Festival - Symbolizing the peace, fortune and prosperity, peony as the city flower of Luoyang, attracts thousands of tourists in April and May each year.
- Gateway to Other Destinations of Henan - Owning an airport, a high speed train station and a normal train station, Luoyang is a great gateway to other attractions in Henan such as Shaolin Temple and Mount Yuntai.
PINGYAO
Pingyao, located in central Shanxi province, is a county-level city. Reputed for the ancient culture, it is home to various cultural relics and about 100 historical sites. Back to its history, Pingyao Ancient City is the great witness with 2700 years of history. Considered as the best-preserved ancient walled city in China and Pingyao city was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site. Around the city, The Shuanglin Temple and Zhenguo Temple will impress you more with its classic architectural styles and imperial treasure of painted sculptures.
Why visit this city:
- Pingyao Ancient City - By keeping all the features of Chinese Han nationality during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it displays a complete picture of the unusual cultural, social, economic development for tourists tracing back the prosperity of that period.
- Imposing courtyards - The various well preserved grand courtyards with typical ancient building styles present a great historical value and architectural aesthetics, such as Qiao’s Family Compound, Wang’s Family Compound.
- Shanxi Merchants' culture - Shanxi was known for its merchant for years and Pingyao as the great hometown, once lived many great Shanxi Merchants, Qiao Zhizhong for instance, the host of Qiao’s Family Compound. Influenced by Confucian culture, their spirit, known as “Jin merchant spirit”, focuses on entrepreneurial spirit, professional ethics and community spirit, which spread into their family history, and can be learned once you travel to the courtyards.
DUNHUANG
As a little county-level city in northwest of Gansu Province, Dunhuang is a hot tourist destination with a glorious history of more than 2,000 years. It is best known for the magnificent Mogao Caves. Because its vast lands of Gobi and desert, Dunhuang was called Sha Zhou (Town of Sand), later in the period of Emperor Wu, Western Han Dynasty, the city was established as an vital border defensive city of Hexi Corridor to protect against invasion of Xiongnu. Since then, Dunhuang had played profound role in Chinese history, holding strategic gateway location to the western regions, stimulating trade, culture exchange for different cultures. Long ago, tourists and merchants gathered in Dunhuang for travel or business. What followed were customs, religions from different nationalities and regions. The stories about Indian, China, Greece and Islam are described in the Mogao Caves murals.
Ancient time passed by, most of the refulgent prosperity of Dunhuang was covered underground by sand. Only fascinating memory and relics left. Today, Dunhuang is an attractive place to dig out the past flourish and enjoy amazing desert views, marvellous Buddhist art and special ethnic customs
Why visit Dunhuang:
- Ancient Silk Road journey - As an important stop along the ancient Silk Road, Dunhuang is the best place for you to explore the footprints of ancient trace of Silk Road. Ride a camel just like what the ancient travelers did, march forward on the boundless desert, visit ancient ruins to travel back. Isn’t it exciting?
- UNESCO Word Cultural Heritage Mogao Caves - The Mogao Caves recorded the 1600 years’ Chinese arts in different periods, including the extreme prosperous Tang Dynasty. It is the treasure house of Buddhist arts, also a unique book keeping cross-culture talks.
- Magnificent Gobi and Desert Scenery - Meet the most representative Gobi and desert scenery that stretching into far distance, have fun with those joyful desert activities. Break the long-lived silence and loneliness, and add joy to the old friends of nature.
- Diverse Mixed Culture and Cuisine - The Northwestern China has long been a region of residence many ethnic minorities lived and fought for. The Dunhuang Buddhist caves, local food and people, touching “Silk Road” shows all tell the national fusion and culture exchange happened thousands of years ago.
DATONG
Datong, as the second largest city in Shanxi Province, is a historical and cultural city. Located in the center of Datong Basin in the north of Shanxi Province, the junction of Inner Mongolia, Shanxi Province and Hebei Province, Datong has always been of vital importance in military due to its strategic position. It’s the capital city of Northern Wei Dynasty (A.D. 386 ~ 534). The city keeps a low profile, yet contains infinite energy. From the magnificent Yungang Grottoes of Northern Wei Dynasty to Huayan Temple and Shanhua Monastery of Liao Dynasty (A.D. 907 ~ 1125) and Jin Dynasty (A.D. 1115 ~ 1234), from the mysterious Hanging Temple which combines Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism together to the Taoist Mount Heng, Datong has perfectly mixed the multi-ethnic cultures into one and creates a new and unique Datong.
Why visit the city:
- Experience the Culture of Northern Wei Dynasty - As the ancient capital of Northern Wei Dynasty, Datong has lots of precious historical sites and relics from that time. Whether the amazing Yungang Grottoes or the precipitous Hanging Temple, tourists can experience the legacy of Northern Wei Dynasty in those historical sites.
- Foodie’s Paradise - Datong is full of delicious food from Central Plains and areas beyond the Great Wall. Various mutton and beef dishes, famous cooked wheaten food (sliced noodles are most famous) and other food made of coarse grains are the specialty in the local area.
- Yingxian Wooden Pagoda - The existing oldest and tallest wooden pagoda in China is Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, which is very close to Datong City, and tourists normally will add the pagoda into their Datong itinerary.
CHINA still set to Top Tourism
Despite the recent COVID Crisis and its impact on tourism and travel generally with China being worst hit predictions signal a bounce back. Experts agree that despite the pandemic China will be a a top destination by 2030. The Yellow Mountains and Shanghai Tower will be topping global travel bucket lists as China leapfrogs France to become the world’s top tourist destination.
And more Chinese will be travelling overseas in the coming decade than any other nationality, as household incomes rise, according to Euromonitor International’s Megatrends Shaping the Future of Travel report.
At the World Travel Market in London, Euromonitor International’s Head of Travel Caroline Bremner said: “Destinations like China are poised for a successful performance in inbound tourism, with China set to overtake France as the leading destination worldwide by 2030.”
The report estimates there will be 127 million arrivals in China each year by the end of the next decade, compared to 126 million in France and 116 million in the US.
China will overtake France to become the biggest tourist destination by 2030
Image: Euromonitor International
Asia on the up
Globally, 1.4 billion trips are expected to be taken this year, a 5% increase on last year, with total travel sales coming in at almost $2.5 trillion, according to the report’s author, Wouter Geerts.
Travel across Asia is especially taking off, with both inbound and outbound trips on the increase thanks to upcoming sporting events (the Tokyo Olympics and Winter Games in Beijing) boosting the region’s appeal, as well as “rapidly growing economies, and an expanding middle class seeking to spend its increasing disposable income on travel”.
Technology is a huge factor in this growth, says Geerts: “Online travel intermediaries such as Ctrip and Fliggy are today’s travel enablers in China, while traditional travel intermediaries in Japan and South Korea such as JTB and Hanatour are actively investing in their online channels to meet demand from their constantly-connected consumers.”
Digital technology is aiding travel and tourism in Asia
Image: Euromonitor International
“The gradual process of loosening visa restrictions has made travelling in the region easier, with 80% of arrivals in Asia originating from the region,” he adds.
Asia’s place as an emerging tourism market - both as an attractive destination and as a growing source of tourists.
It predicted the top 10 fastest growing destinations for leisure travel spending between 2016 and 2026 would be India, Angola, Uganda, Brunei, Thailand, China, Myanmar, Oman, Mozambique and Vietnam.
China’s pulling power
Within Asia, China is seeing the biggest tourism growth, with outbound trips set to reach 260 million by 2030. As well as becoming the biggest inbound market by 2030, domestic tourism is also taking off. And there will be 6.7 billion domestic trips by 2023, up from 4.7 billion in 2018.
How Chinese trips abroad will take off in the next decade
Geerts said: “Tourism is a key pillar of the Chinese economy, and much investment has been made to improve infrastructure and standards, in addition to tourism-friendly policies and initiatives.”
In the Forum’s 2017 index, China had moved up two places to be 15th in the rankings, with its exceptional natural and cultural resources to thank, as well as its increased international openness.
However, the report also noted China could enhance its competitiveness by doing more to “address environmental sustainability” (for which it ranked 132nd) and “to ensure the preservation of its unique natural resources”.
China has since changed its approach to the travel industry and is moving towards sustainable tourism.
In 2017, China National Tourism Association set guidelines on ‘all-for-one’ tourism demonstration zones to encourage local governments to improve tourism competitiveness and service quality - to boost regional economies.
Geerts notes: “The country is changing tack, and is looking at conservation, diversity of cultures and the natural environment as important aspects of a cohesive tourism offering.”