Terrorism and Tourism: The Northern Ireland Situation—A Look behind the Veil of Certainty

Abstract

This article argues that for much of the past 30 years, Northern Ireland (NI) has been hiding behind the veil of terrorism in trying to justify the decline in its tourist arrivals. Although patterns of consumer demand and supply trends have substantially shifted, the NI primary tourism product has changed very little, while product development and diversification have been limited. To develop this theme, the approach adopted is first to present a brief overview of NI and its tourism attractions, then to consider the demand for tourism in the province and the market share accorded to the main categories of tourists. Subsequently, attention is drawn to the approach of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.

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