Tourism NI launches “crucially important” Tourism & Hospitality Week 2026

Tourism Northern Ireland has launched Tourism & Hospitality Week 2026. Now in its third year, the dedicated week aims to shine a spotlight on the importance of the tourism and hospitality sector to the local economy as well as the positive impact it has on local communities, through a series of engaging events.

Photo caption: (L-R) Eimear Callaghan, Director of Client Engagement at Tourism Northern Ireland and Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald launch Tourism & Hospitality Week 2026.

One of Northern Ireland’s most valuable industries, the tourism and hospitality sector generates £1.2 billion for Northern Ireland’s economy, supporting more than 70,000 jobs across the region, and nearly 6,000 businesses.

Running until October 2, Tourism & Hospitality Week 2026 kicked off on Friday with Tourism NI’s `Tourism 2030: Turning Momentum into Growth’ conference, which explored how an effective tourism system and a shared commitment across the sector are key to supporting its future growth and resilience in the region.

It was the first in a series of signature and supporting events which will take place this week across Northern Ireland to showcase the innovation, investment and ambition shaping the future of the visitor economy.

Supported by a host of partners, including Hospitality Ulster, the Northern Ireland Hotel Federation and the Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance, the events include the launch of 10 new music experiences for visitors – a legacy of Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann 2026 - which have been supported by Tourism NI’s Music Experience Development Programme, and a series of industry-focused webinars exploring AI, the e-learning platform MyTourismNI, and Digital Marketing.

As part of the dedicated week, Tourism NI, in partnership with Tourism Ireland, will also be hosting a group of US tour operators on a dedicated Sustainable Tourism educational familiarisation trip.

Built around the Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Map, which helps tour operators identify tourism businesses that create positive impacts for local communities and destinations, the itinerary will showcase the breadth of Northern Ireland's sustainable tourism offering, from authentic visitor experiences and luxury accommodation to local culture, heritage and immersive attractions.

A host of other partner events will also take place.

As part of the dedicated week, Tourism NI has also launched its new Autumn marketing campaign.

Focusing on driving demand for short breaks and days out across Autumn, the campaign, which will run across multiple channels, is expected to reach approximately 69% of adults across the island of Ireland and generate 56.5 million impacts.

Tourism businesses are being encouraged to take part by aligning their own activity with the campaign to help convert increased visitor interest into bookings and sales.

This will be underpinned by a strong programme of upcoming events including Derry Halloween, Belfast International Arts Festival and Armagh Georgian Festival which comes just weeks after the huge success of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2026.

Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald said: “Tourism and hospitality is a vital part of our economy, supporting thousands of jobs and businesses and bringing investment and opportunity to communities across the north.

“Tourism & Hospitality Week is an opportunity not only to celebrate the people and businesses driving the sector forward, but to focus on its future. I am committed to building on the momentum we have created, investing in skills and supporting an ambitious, sustainable tourism sector that creates good jobs and delivers lasting economic benefits for the region.”

Eimear Callaghan, Director of Client Engagement at Tourism NI, said: “Tourism is entering into a period of transformation and growth with £ 1.5 billion in investment planned over the next decade, further enhancing the visitor experience.

“Our opportunity now is to turn this momentum into growth. We have strong foundations, distinctive stories, passionate people, ambitious businesses and significant investment momentum. It is now time to make those assets work together, at scale, for the visitor, the industry, communities and the wider economy. It is time to deliver on the power and promise of tourism.

“Tourism & Hospitality week is crucially important to showcase the economic and social impact of this growing sector for Northern Ireland."

Further information about Tourism & Hospitality Week 2026 can be found at Tourism and Hospitality Week