Jennifer O’Donnell, Tourism Manager at Derry City & Strabane District Council, Odhran Dunne, Chief Executive at Visit Derry and David Gilliland, managing partner at Brook Hall Estate. Picture Martin McKeown. 16.06.26
While overall tourism numbers across Northern Ireland experienced a decline in 2024, Derry and Strabane has bucked the trend, recording significant increases in both visitor numbers and tourism revenue — a testament to the region’s growing appeal as a must-visit destination.
According to the figures, Northern Ireland experienced a decline in overall tourism in 2024 with the total number of overnight trips to the North dropping by 13.86%, from 5.4 million to 4.7 million, while visitor spend decreased by 8.7%, from £1.2 billion to £1.1 billion.
However, the Derry City and Strabane District Council area bucked this trend with impressive gains, including visitor spend in the area increasing by a substantial 29.1%, rising from £63,841,360 in 2023 to £82,442,469 in 2024 and overnight trips to the Council area also seeing a healthy increase of 10.57%, rising from 266,472 in 2023 to 294,633 in 2024.
The increase in visitor spend marks the highest percentage growth among all council areas, with only one other council reporting an increase.
This significant growth positions the Derry and Strabane Council area firmly on track to achieve its tourism strategy ambition of doubling visitor spend to £100 million by 2025.
The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Ruairi McHugh said: “We are absolutely delighted with the outstanding tourism performance in our district during 2024.
“These figures are a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in our local tourism industry and demonstrates the remarkable resilience and commitment from our local tourism sector.
“The substantial increase in visitor spend is particularly encouraging as it directly contributes to our local economy, creates jobs, and supports our vibrant businesses.
“We are well on our way to achieving our strategic goal of doubling visitor spend, and this success strengthens our resolve to continue investing in and promoting our unique offerings.”
Visit Derry Chief Executive Odhran Dunne said: “The 29% increase in visitor spend across the Derry City and Strabane District is a strong validation of the Council’s co-created tourism strategy, which set out clear objectives including growing visitor spend to £100m by 2025.
“This significant uplift demonstrates that a focused investment in destination marketing, product development, and event-led tourism is paying off by increasing the value of tourism to the local economy and creating real opportunities for local businesses to benefit, grow and create jobs within the sector.”
The tourism manager for Derry City and Strabane District Council, Jennifer O’Donnell added: “This significant growth can be attributed to several key factors.
“We’ve seen considerable sector growth driven by exciting new product developments and experiences across the region. Our international events calendar, including the success of Halloween and the Foyle Maritime Festival, has played a crucial role in attracting more visitors.
“Private sector investment, notably in hotel developments, has also enhanced our capacity to welcome more guests.
“Furthermore, corporate business has seen an 11% increase since 2023, while improved air access routes, such as those through City of Derry Airport (CODA), have made our destination more accessible.”
She said that a key element to this positive news story is the strong collaborative efforts between Council and its partners such as Visit Derry, Tourism NI, and Tourism Ireland, who have all played an instrumental part in putting our district on the map and showcasing all it has to offer.
She added that this positive performance underscores the effectiveness of the strategic initiatives implemented within the Derry City and Strabane District Council area, positioning the region as a leading tourism destination within the island of Ireland.
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