On 15 January 2025, Northern Ireland (NI) Economy Minister Conor Murphy launched a plan for tourism expenditure to exceed £2 billion by 2035. Part of this target would be achieved by ‘the development and promotion of Peace Tourism’.[1] The plan noted that since the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, ‘one of the greatest success stories of the wider peace … People also want to learn more about our history and this offers an opportunity to grow peace tourism and ensure that communities which suffered most share in the peace dividend.’[2]
Peace tourism can broadly be defined as travel that focuses on learning about peacebuilding, conflict resolution and the histories of war and reconciliation. Rather than visiting sites solely for their military or memorial interest, peace tourism encourages travellers to explore how communities have moved from conflict to coexistence and how lessons from the past can support a more peaceful future. Since the early 1990s, ‘a few intrepid travellers’ began arriving at locations they had seen on the media.[3] Before then, virtually no tourists had visited NI since the conflict began in 1969.
Today, the Troubles, as they are known locally, are one of the three Ts of NI tourism, the others being (Game of) Thrones and Titanic. Visitors can explore Troubles-related museums that present particular perspectives on the conflict, such as James Connolly Visitor Centre or the Eileen Hickey Museum. Another option is walking tours of areas such as the Falls and the Shankill; here I should declare a vested interest, as I lead many of these tours.
Among local people, the Troubles still resonate. The period is within living memory, many lost family, friends and loved ones and many still suffer trauma from violence they experienced, witnessed or participated in. Peace tourism is therefore a sensitive subject at political, cultural, personal and community levels. Various agencies are exploring its development and it offers significant economic potential, yet it also raises ethical and controversial challenges that must be addressed. These can be framed through four questions.
1. Should we be making tourism out of this dark episode in our history? Around 3,500 people died in the Troubles, many thousands were injured and countless lives were changed for ever. Should we even consider presenting this painful past, or does ignoring it help no one?
2. How are local communities engaged? Communities were intimately involved in the Troubles, often in conflict with one another. Separation barriers still divide Republican and Loyalist areas and intimidation still occurs in some places based on religion or identity. Yet the areas where much of the violence occurred, such as the Shankill, the Falls, Ardoyne and Sandy Row, are now vibrant and active communities. If visitors come, how do residents feel and what benefit do they gain? Listening to these communities and ensuring they share in the economic value is essential. BCC has developed a neighbourhood tourism strategy, which may help guide this work.
3. How do we ensure objectivity and balance? The conflict remains vivid in public memory and the narrative of thirty years of civil strife is contested. Murals present Republican and Loyalist perspectives; memorials commemorate fallen heroes on both sides and public art remembers major events and innocent victims. Both sides can be tempted to present themselves as victims and the other as aggressor. Both perspectives contain truth but often omit atrocities committed in their name. Neither side had a single narrative; each contained factions, with intra-factional conflict, murder and feuds. How do we ensure these varied voices are represented?
4. Who tells the story? The medium shapes the message. Public space in the city is already a battleground of competing histories. Narratives of the Troubles appear on gable ends and public spaces, while flags on houses and lampposts recall past loyalties. Global conflicts also reverberate locally, with Israeli flags often flown in Loyalist areas and Palestinian flags in Republican ones.
Resolving these issues is complex and requires delicate handling and a multi-track approach. Addressing them is important for community cohesion and for unlocking sites with tourism potential, such as the derelict remains of the old H-Block prison. My own approach to the Troubles walking tours I lead is set out below:
• No side has a monopoly on heroes or villains. The Troubles are not a simple tale of good and evil; reducing them to such terms strips away complexity and nuance. • Perspective matters. One person’s freedom fighter is another person’s terrorist. All sides have stories, even if some are difficult to hear. Our perspectives are shaped by upbringing, education and experience, but understanding requires listening to the other view. • Focus on the motivations. Why did people fight, kill or die for their cause? Motivation helps us understand both conflict and the desire for peace. • Take the long view. The Troubles did not appear from nowhere. History is messy and layered. • Explain the built and public environment. Public art, murals, flags and symbols carry meaning. The Falls and the Shankill are vibrant, living communities, not film sets or relics. • Recognise the limits of objectivity. I aim to be balanced, though I know I do not always succeed. Tour guests often offer valuable insights and many have taught me a great deal. • Offer a message of hope. The Troubles story has a positive ending (so far) with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and represents a major achievement in conflict resolution, though trauma and inequality remain. • Give a perspective on the present. The Troubles still shape lived experience. The constitutional question at the heart of the conflict persists and identity remains central for many.
Notes
[1] https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/news/murphy-launches-plan-tourism-expenditure-exceed-ps2-billion-2035, accessed 2 December 2025. [2] 10 Year Action Plan, Tourism Vision & Action Plan, Ministry of Economy, Northern Ireland Executive (2025), p. 12. [3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/20240912-how-northern-ireland-is-reclaiming-its-story, accessed 2 December 2025.