Tourism Development Team Strengthens Operator Engagement Across Key UK Markets

20th February 2026

The Tourism Development team has had a productive start to the year, engaging with a range of UK and Ireland Tour Operators through two major business events and a high‑impact familiarisation visit.

Celtic Connections – Glasgow

Tourism Development Officer Clare Foreman represented Ards and North Down at Celtic Connections, a focused B2B workshop attracting predominantly Scottish and Welsh Tour Operators. The event followed a structured 12‑minute “speed‑dating” appointment format, enabling Clare to meet a broad mix of operators interested in developing new product for Northern Ireland. Engagement was strong throughout the day, and the team is optimistic about building new working relationships over the coming months.

Britain and Ireland Marketplace – London

Tourism Manager Alex Irvine attended the Britain and Ireland Marketplace in London, one of the UK’s key annual business‑to‑business tourism events. Using the same rapid‑appointment format, Alex met both new operators and existing contacts, strengthening relationships and identifying opportunities to grow future business into the borough. 

Abbey Group Familiarisation Visit

Following ongoing relationship‑building over several years, the team was delighted to welcome Abbey Group, one of Ireland’s largest Tour Operators, for a two‑day familiarisation visit on 11–12 February. The group included 10 Tour Operators, all keen to experience the borough first‑hand.

The itinerary showcased a diverse range of visitor experiences, including:

• Ulster Folk Museum
• Ulster Transport Museum
• The Poachers Pocket
• Tracey’s Farmhouse Kitchen
• Strangford Lough Activity Centre
• The Culloden Hotel and Spa
• The Walled Garden, Helen’s Bay
• Grace Neill’s
• Copeland Distillery
• Quintin Castle
• Echlinville Distillery

Feedback from the group was extremely positive. The group were impressed with all the sites they visited and were pleased to note how close the borough is to Belfast.  Their team have now a much better product awareness of the area and have assured us that they will definitely be recommending the area to their clients.

The Tourism Development team extends sincere thanks to all providers who supported the visit.