Belfast City Airport has partnered with Tourism NI and all eleven local Councils for a competition to celebrate the region’s lesser known attractions and experiences.

The shortlist for Northern Ireland’s ‘Best’ Small Visitor Attraction, a competition launched by George Best Belfast City Airport in partnership with Tourism NI, has been announced and Exploris Aquarium is one of the shortlisted attractions in the Ards and North Down Borough Council.

As a shortlisted attraction, Exploris Aquarium is now in with a chance of winning £30,000 of free marketing support and brand visibility at Belfast City Airport.

Members of the public can now place their vote by liking the Exploris Aquarium photo on the Belfast City Airport Facebook page. The one attraction with the most votes from each Council area will progress to the final stage of the competition where a judging panel will determine the winner.

The competition, which was open to visitor attractions and experiences across Northern Ireland that have an annual footfall of less than 100,000, will offer the winner £20,000 of branding on site and £10,000 of online support through the airport’s digital channels.

Katy Best, Commercial Director at Belfast City Airport, said:

“We are delighted to announce the shortlisted attractions and experiences which are now one step closer to winning £30,000 worth of free marketing support at the airport.

“The shortlist is a great representation of just how diverse the tourism industry is here in Northern Ireland, and our partnership with Tourism NI, alongside the involvement of each of the 11 local councils, has ensured a variety of entrants from right across the province.

“The winner of the competition will have the opportunity to boost their profile amongst an audience of 2.6m local and overseas visitors that travel through the airport each year.

“I would like to take this opportunity to wish those shortlisted the best of luck as they progress through to the next stage of the competition.”

The £20,000 of free advertising on offer at the airport will be across a number of formats within the terminal, while the £10,000 of digital support will include activities such as email solus campaigns and social media take overs.

Tourism NI’s Chief Executive, John McGrillen, said:

“I hope that this initiative will encourage visitors to extend their stay in the region, whilst taking the time to enjoy some of the lesser-known attractions and experiences which truly represent the distinct heritage and culture here in Northern Ireland.

“We recognise that the smaller attractions and experiences across the province are likely to have smaller marketing budgets, and therefore the free marketing support at the airport will hopefully make a huge difference to the winner.

“I look forward to seeing which of the shortlisted attractions and experiences are the most popular amongst the public during the next stage of the competition.”

The public must cast their vote by ‘liking’ their favourite attraction or experience on the Belfast City Airport Facebook page between Monday 29th April and Sunday 12th May 2019.

The attraction with the most ‘likes’ from each Council area will now proceed to the final.

Please show your support for Exploris Aquarium and click here to vote!