Heritage tourism: Attractivity for Northern Ireland

With current developments in achieving a lasting peace, the tourist industry is poised to experience dramatic growth. One major aspect of the appeal to visiting the Province is the diversity of heritage attractions present. This is examined through an assessment of visitor figures to attractions over the 1994-1996 time period. This time frame is selected because of first, the availability of data and second, as it provides key data over the time from the first ceasefire (August, 1994) through to the return to terrorist activity (early 1996). It provides evidence of how tourism benefited under peaceful conditions, and the extent to which heritage attractions benefited. A model of sustainable heritage tourism is advanced around three broad aspects of key principles, planning and management. Two case studies (the Giant's Causeway and Old Bushmills Distillery) illustrate the extent to which these broad aspects can be operationalised.