Know Before You Go: Guidance for travel in Great Britain and Northern Ireland
With over 194 European and international destinations servicing both Belfast and Dublin, plus 530 direct UK flights weekly from 24 destinations, Belfast is easily accessible for international delegates.
George Best Belfast City Airport is just a five-minute drive from the city centre, with Flybe, Aer Lingus, British Airways, KLM and Eastern Airways all flying to and from the airport. Belfast International Airport is a 30-minute drive from Belfast City Centre. EasyJet, Ryanair, Jet2 and Wizz all fly to and from Belfast International Airport.
Irish Rail operates services from towns and cities across the Republic of Ireland to Dublin’s Connolly Station, where delegates can then catch a connecting train to Belfast. The Enterprise Train service from Dublin’s Connolly Station to Lanyon Station (previously known as Belfast Central), runs eight times daily and takes two hours, 15 minutes.
Belfast is easily accessed by sea, with crossings from both Scotland and England. Groups can travel by super-fast ferries, with journey times from just one hour.
 |
AerospaceNorthern Ireland is a global leader in aerospace technology. It has a dynamic, rapidly growing international aerospace industry founded on a strong engineering heritage and rich in knowledge, skills and experience. Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer, BAE Systems, Spirit AeroSystems and GKN Aerospace are among the firms currently working with Northern Ireland aerospace companies. Belfast further offers a resilient aerospace supply chain with expertise in key technologies including: composites design and manufacturing; advanced metal forming; precision machining; seating and interiors; design and stress; tooling design and manufacturing. It’s among Belfast’s most successful clusters with a successful track record of working with global aerospace and defence companies and is a model of partnership between university and industry. |
 |
TechnologyNorthern Ireland has one of the fastest growing tech clusters in the UK. It is the top city globally for FinTech development projects and is one of FT fDi Intelligence’s Top 10 Digital Economies of the Future. Belfast is the world’s number one destination for US-based cybertech investment and is fast becoming a global cyber security hub. This sector employs over 1,200 people and as a result, its pipeline of talent, pioneering research and innovation, plus secure and resilient infrastructure, will make it one of the world’s leading cyber economies by 2026. Belfast is also a leading city for new software development. It is home to global businesses in financial software, data analytics and encryption, access control systems and intelligent surveillance technologies. |
 |
Agri foodNorthern Ireland has a global reputation for food safety. Pioneering research is being carried out at Queen’s University Belfast’s Institute for Global Food Security, a centre which advises the UK and other governments on food safety. Queen’s is leading the world in addressing one of the greatest global challenges – how to ensure the safety of our food. Not only this but the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) carries out high technology research and development, statutory, analytical, and diagnostic testing functions for government departments, public bodies and commercial companies. |
There are 48 hotels with 5,506 bedrooms in greater Belfast and 22 hotels within a 15 minute walk of the city’s purpose-built convention centre, ICC Belfast.
| 5* hotels | 307 bedrooms |
| 4* hotels | 3,539 bedrooms |
| 3* and under properties | 1,568 bedrooms |
| Other (student accommodation / home sharing) | 6,434 bedrooms |
From the birthplace of the ill-fated Titanic liner to world-class hotels and conference centres, Belfast offers facilities worthy of its global powerhouse status.
Experience the Northern Irish capital’s culture, creativity and culinary expertise as part of memorable incentive itineraries.
Visit Belfast’s dedicated team are on hand to offer expert advice and help plan a successful, memorable event in the capital of Northern Ireland. They provide a single point of contact for everything you need to know about the city, plus they coordinate ‘Team Belfast’ to make sure that the city delivers an exceptional delegate experience. Visit Belfast also offers a free online accommodation booking service, GroupMAX to eligible conferences.
