{"id":4385,"date":"2025-07-10T11:31:48","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T11:31:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/?p=4385"},"modified":"2025-07-10T11:39:25","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T11:39:25","slug":"bright-futures-or-flashy-distractions-a-tour-guides-perspective-on-immersive-tech-in-belfast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/10\/bright-futures-or-flashy-distractions-a-tour-guides-perspective-on-immersive-tech-in-belfast\/","title":{"rendered":"Bright Futures or Flashy Distractions? A Tour Guide\u2019s Perspective on Immersive Tech in Belfast"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Is Belfast\u2019s tourism future being built on solid ground \u2014 or seduced by shiny tech?<\/strong>\u00a0In this reflective piece, I explore\u00a0<em>Augment the City<\/em>, a bold new programme introducing AI and immersive storytelling to Belfast\u2019s visitor offer. Drawing on personal experience in both digital and traditional arts, I welcome innovation but raise questions about its real-world impact, sector consultation and long-term strategy. Is this the start of something transformative \u2014 or just another bright, blinking distraction?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On 5 July 2025, Belfast City Council announced that three companies have each received \u00a3100K to develop immersive tourism prototypes as part of Belfast&#8217;s&nbsp;<em>Augment the City<\/em>&nbsp;innovation programme [Reference 4, see notes at end]. Their concepts use AI and mixed reality to share authentic local stories and amplify underrepresented voices in the city\u2019s cultural narrative. As a Green Badge tour guide working in Belfast, I naturally began to wonder how this might affect my industry, my colleagues and myself in the years ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is not a Luddite appeal to resist technology &#8211; far from it. I\u2019m genuinely interested in the impact of digital tools and immersive experiences, particularly when they support inclusion and creativity. I worked at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wheelworksarts.com\/\">Wheelworks Arts<\/a>&nbsp;for 18 months, which used digital and traditional arts to engage young people and their creativity engaging with augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR) and other non-digital art forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, I do have concerns that the current focus feels a little too fixed on the bright, flashing fascinator of tech. It\u2019s not always clear how these worries fit into a wider, coordinated strategy for sustainable tourism development in the city. Nor has there been much visible consultation with working tourism professionals like me, at least not that I\u2019ve seen. That absence leaves questions about how well this innovation is grounded in the everyday realities of Belfast\u2019s visitor economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Background<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The&nbsp;<em>Augment the City<\/em>&nbsp;programme is an ambitious initiative led by Belfast City Council\u2019s City Innovation Office and funded by the Belfast Region City Deal. With a total fund of \u00a3575,000, it empowers local SMEs to explore immersive technologies &#8211; including AR, VR and MR &#8211; to transform visitor experiences [1]. The programme is delivered through a&nbsp;<strong>three-phase competition<\/strong>&nbsp;model:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Phase 1&nbsp;saw&nbsp;ten companies&nbsp;receive up to \u00a310,000 each to explore immersive tourism concepts and present them in a competitive pitch session in Belfast [1].<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Phase 2&nbsp;involved&nbsp;six companies&nbsp;awarded up to \u00a335,000 to develop their ideas further into working proposals [2].<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Phase 3&nbsp;culminated in&nbsp;three finalists&nbsp;receiving \u00a3100,000 each to create fully functional prototypes to be trialled in real-world tourism settings [4].<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The three finalists announced as part of Phase 3 on 5 July were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hamilton Robson, working with 1Up Studios and the Nerve Centre, is building the&nbsp;Belfast Stories Generator&nbsp;\u2013 an AI interviewer and holographic interface that will form a searchable digital archive of local stories.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Liquid City\u2019s Amergin&nbsp;aims to create a mobile storytelling tool powered by AI, allowing anyone to capture and share stories on the go.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ekaterina Solomatina\u2019s Memory Fractal Belfast&nbsp;will use mixed reality to inspire and share personal and cultural memories, especially from underrepresented communities [4][5].<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These projects are being developed with an eye toward&nbsp;<em>Belfast Stories<\/em>, a major new tourism attraction due to open in 2029 [3]. The hope is to create emotionally resonant, immersive visitor journeys that highlight the depth and diversity of life in the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The&nbsp;<em>Augment the City<\/em>&nbsp;programme is part of the&nbsp;<strong>XR Belfast<\/strong>&nbsp;initiative, which offers skills development, creative mentorship and access to state-of-the-art connectivity for SMEs in the region. XR Belfast is helping local creatives integrate emerging technologies into their workflows, thereby building long-term capacity and competitiveness [5].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Belfast\u2019s City Innovation Office, with partners such as Digital Catapult NI, is also delivering&nbsp;<em>Creative Capacity Sessions<\/em><em>&nbsp;<\/em>and a&nbsp;<em>Creative Mentorship Programme<\/em>&nbsp;to support those in sectors such as design, animation and advertising to transition into immersive production [5].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The programme has drawn support from across government, with officials praising its role in stimulating R&amp;D investment, promoting collaborative innovation, and showcasing Northern Ireland\u2019s global potential in digital tourism [1][4].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Bold New Future? Immersive Tech and the Tourism Tightrope<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The&nbsp;<em>Augment the City<\/em>&nbsp;initiative represents an exciting step towards digitally enabled tourism in Belfast. By investing in storytelling technologies and cultural engagement tools, it brings the city in line with international trends that prize personalisation, interactivity and emotional resonance. Projects such as&nbsp;<em>SIGN<\/em>, which creates accessible tours for the deaf and hearing-impaired using AR and haptic feedback, show real potential for inclusive innovation [5]. Others, like&nbsp;<em>Yarns, Craic, and Danders<\/em>, offer an imaginative blend of humour, narrative and walking tours through game engine tech \u2013 something I find genuinely intriguing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Immersive technology also brings potential wider economic benefits. It supports local creative industries, encourages digital skills development and promotes Belfast as a forward-thinking destination. Tools like&nbsp;<em>Amergin<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>Belfast Stories Generator<\/em>&nbsp;can enable self-guided, flexible exploration of the city \u2013 reducing pressure on infrastructure and supporting longer, higher-value visits, particularly from international audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But for all the potential, the limitations are equally worth noting. Immersive tech \u2013 while attention-grabbing \u2013 doesn\u2019t solve Belfast\u2019s deeper tourism challenges: labour shortages, high operating costs, limited accommodation and poor international connectivity (see my article&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/tourist-season-here-belfast-ready-2025-dr-tom-s-tours-o8lse\/?trackingId=hJXnfdN%2BtYByAdB52c8HfA%3D%3D\">here<\/a>). As I wrote in this previous post, these issues remain critical bottlenecks to real growth. Meanwhile, immersive tourism experiences, by their nature, risk being short-lived \u2013 today\u2019s innovation could be tomorrow\u2019s outdated platform. Sustaining and updating this tech will require consistent funding and digital capacity, which not all operators may be able to access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another concern is the limited visibility of sector consultation. As someone actively working in the field, I\u2019ve seen little engagement with tour guides or hospitality professionals during the programme\u2019s rollout. This raises questions about whether the innovations are being developed&nbsp;<em>with<\/em>&nbsp;\u2013 or simply&nbsp;<em>for<\/em>&nbsp;\u2013 the tourism workforce. Many of us have decades of experience interpreting Belfast\u2019s stories, and while I\u2019m open to hybrid formats, digital curation is a major leap that will require both time and training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s also the matter of accessibility. Not all tourists are comfortable navigating AR apps or using mobile devices during their visit. For older visitors or those with limited digital literacy, a tech-first approach could feel alienating rather than inclusive. Add to that the growing ethical concerns around AI, data capture and story ownership, and it\u2019s clear that the city will need to tread carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m optimistic about the promise of immersive tech and excited by the creativity behind some of these projects. Done well, they could add depth, nuance and playfulness to Belfast\u2019s visitor experience. But tech should complement, not replace, what\u2019s already working. Our city\u2019s strength lies in its people, stories and lived experiences \u2013 the kind you can\u2019t always replicate through a screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Augment the City<\/em>&nbsp;could be a strong foundation for Belfast\u2019s tourism future, but only if it\u2019s built alongside a clear, inclusive and long-term strategy that supports the whole sector \u2013 not just its most digital corners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>References<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[1]&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/smartbelfast.city\/story\/augment-the-city\/\">Augment the City \u2013 \u00a3575,000 fund for innovation in immersive tech<\/a>&nbsp;(accessed on 10 July 2025)<br>[2]&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.belfastcity.gov.uk\/Business-and-investment\/XRBelfast\">XRBelfast \u2013 Augment the City Challenge Fund<\/a>&nbsp;(accessed on 10 July 2025)<br>[3]&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tourismni.com\/events\/augment-the-city-challenge-competition\/\">Tourism NI \u2013 Augment The City Challenge Competition<\/a>&nbsp;(accessed on 10 July 2025)<br>[4]&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.belfastcity.gov.uk\/News\/Revolutionising-the-local-tourism-experience-with\">Belfast City Council \u2013 Revolutionising the local tourism experience with immersive tech<\/a>&nbsp;(accessed on 10 July 2025)<br>[5]&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.belfastcity.gov.uk\/Business-and-investment\/XRBelfast\">XRBelfast \u2013 Full list of funded projects and innovation ecosystem details<\/a>&nbsp;(accessed on 10 July 2025)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is Belfast\u2019s tourism future being built on solid ground \u2014 or seduced by shiny tech?\u00a0In this reflective piece, I explore\u00a0Augment the City, a bold new programme introducing AI and immersive storytelling to Belfast\u2019s visitor offer. Drawing on personal experience in both digital and traditional arts, I welcome innovation but raise questions about its real-world impact, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4378,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-34"],"blocksy_meta":[],"gutentor_comment":0,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/20250611_104045-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4385\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drtomstours.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}