Tall ships to bring £10m windfall

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The Tall Ships event in Belfast could boost the local economy by £10m, Lord Mayor Naomi Long has said.

Tens of thousands of visitors are expected in Belfast for the four-day festival which begins when the 40-strong fleet arrives on Thursday.

The festival in the docks area will include free activities, concerts, fireworks, continental markets and funfairs.

The income could support around 550 jobs in the tourism sector.

Councillor Long said economists calculated that every £1m of tourism expenditure supported 55 jobs.

"This will be the biggest event that Belfast has ever hosted and the single biggest event on this island this year," she said.

"We will have visitors from all over the world and they will enjoy the warmth and hospitality for which Belfast people are renowned."

It has been a long-held ambition of Belfast City Council to bring the Tall Ships back to the city since the last highly successful visit Belfast Lord Mayor Naomi Long

The Tall Ships are calling into Belfast as part of a race across the Atlantic and back, which is staged every eight to 10 years.

They left Halifax, Nova Scotia, last month on a trip which began in Vigo in Spain, before calling at Tenerife, Bermuda and Charleston and Boston in the US.

The last race was in 2000 and the last occasion the ships arrived in Belfast was in 1991.

"It has been a long-held ambition of Belfast City Council to bring the Tall Ships back to the city since the last highly successful visit," the lord mayor said.

"The council has taken the decision to invest heavily in the event because we are aware of the benefits the Tall Ships can bring in terms of revenue. I confidently believe that the city's economy could be boosted to the tune of £10 million.

"Hundreds of thousands of people will visit the city during the four days. Many will be staying over in our hotels and guest houses, eating in the restaurants and I am sure many will take the opportunity to shop in the city when they are here."

Belfast City Council, the biggest single funder of the event, contributes £1.1m towards the total cost of £2.4m.

Other funding has been provided by Belfast Harbour Commissioners, Northern Ireland Tourist Board, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and the Department of Social Development.