Belfast's musical heritage to give tourism a boost
WHEN many of us think about the city of Liverpool names like The Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers and Cilla Black, and more recently The Zutons and The Wombats spring to mind.
It is this immediate association with musical legends and famous faces which those involved in tourism for Belfast are now seeking to emulate.
Plans are afoot to create a 'musical tourism' aspect to the city, to include tours, downloads, a website and exhibitions, hoping to entice visitors.
Aiming for a more cultured allure to the city, an alternative to the 'bombs and murals' tourist tradition, Belfast City Council, along with the Arts Council and NI Tourist Board, have developed a strategy for this modern form of tourism.
A report submitted to Belfast City Council about the tourism initiative states music "will be the hook to profile Belfast as a cultural tourism destination ... and increase tourism revenue from this market".
A diverse range of music has emerged from Belfast over the years, from Van Morrison to James Galway, punk band Stiff Little Fingers to Eric Bell from Thin Lizzy, Ruby Murray and more modern acts like Duke Special.
Ulster bands Snow Patrol and Ash also have a strong affiliation with the city, with lead singers Gary Lightbody and Tim Wheeler backing the Oh Yeah music centre which supports up-and-coming musicians. Snow Patrol's latest hit, Take Back the City, is said to be inspired by Belfast.
In recent years the spotlight on Belfast has been increasingly illuminating its cultural and musical talents, with the city being name-checked in many international newspapers and magazines.
On the back of such interest the bodies involved in Belfast's musical tourism, have developed a range of tourist attractions around the city's lyrical heritage.
A weekly tour will be organised, which will include a visit to the Ulster Hall and an opportunity to hear the Ulster Orchestra rehearsing, before departing on a two-hour guided coach tour of musical venues and key sights, including Van Morrison heritage, an introduction to all musical genres, and finishing at the Oh Yeah Centre in the Cathedral Quarter, with an exhibition on contemporary music.
An accompanying website will include a downloadable version of the tour, for those who want to self-guide around the various points. Also on the website will be details of Belfast's jazz, traditional, folk, rock and classical musical traditions, as well as a list of venues, festivals, halls of fame and events listings.
The organisers are planning to launch the new tourism angle this coming March to coincide with the reopening of the Ulster Hall. It will also be publicised on an international stage at this year's Nashville and South by South West festivals in the United States in March.
Tickets will be on sale from the middle of February from the Belfast Welcome Centre and the Oh Yeah Centre.
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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