The Power of Storytelling in Tourism
Stories connect people, spark curiosity, and inspire travel decisions.
Through every campaign, partnership, and regeneration project, we’re sharing the story of Ards and North Down — and putting your business at the centre.
Supporting Businesses to Grow
We’re here to help you strengthen your unique tourism offer:
- Skills and training to support business development
- Tourism clusters, networking and familiarisation trips to build connections and shared experiences
- Visitor Servicing team promoting your products and encouraging visitors to stay longer
- Promotional opportunities across our campaigns and channels
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💡 Consumer inspiration – see how we tell our story through our visitor ezine, featuring itineraries, events, and offers.
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Read more: Ards and North Down Borough Council - Here to help Tourism and Hospitality Businesses
Digital-Led Marketing with Impact
Our campaigns showcase the borough’s unique appeal through a digital-first, storytelling approach.
- Strategic partnerships with Tourism NI, Tourism Ireland, and Visit Belfast
- Campaigns aligned with Embrace a Giant Spirit
- Authentic stories highlighting our people, places, and local experiences
Telling Our Story — With Results
In 2025/26 our campaigns reached further than ever:
- 17 digital-led, multi-channel marketing campaigns delivered
- 11 million+ digital impressions generated and 6.7 million opportunities to engage
- Biannual Destination Awareness Campaigns across NI, ROI and GB generated 6.7 million digital impressions
- 45.4% average Visit Ards and North Down e-zine open rate, outperforming typical travel and hospitality sector averages
See How We’ve Told Our Story
This autumn 2026 it is... Absolutely Ards and North Down
Strong Digital Growth
Our digital presence continues to expand:
- 1,027,655 website visitors (+41% YoY)
- 19,730 social media followers (+16% YoY)
- 22.6% increase in e-zine subscribers
- 45.4% average e-zine open rate
- 1M+ YouTube views achieved
Get Involved: List Your Business
Boost visibility by listing for free on discovernorthernireland.com — your content automatically feeds into visitardsandnorthdown.com.
Share Your Story
We love showcasing local businesses and experiences.
Share your news, offers or upcoming events with us here:
Follow, engage, and tag us on social: @visitardsandnorthdown
#VisitAND #ExperienceAND #TasteANDEnjoy
