Northern Ireland Re-emerges from the Ashes: The Contribution of Political Tourism towards a more visited and peaceful environment

This was a requested chapter by the editors. The chapter presents the narrative of the rise of tourism post 1995 in Northern Ireland and the emergence of both a developing supply base of political tourism attractions and a demand for this emergent niche market. The chapter explores the opportunity of the development of this niche from the viewpoint of industry personnel and asks the tough questions over the extent of interest in its development, the position that communities take on this type of opportunity and what lessons can Northern Ireland share with other destinations that have a similar turbulent past they are slowly emerging from. The chapter stresses the educational role that this type of tourism offers as well as the opportunity it can play towards peace and reconciliation.