Belfast is in the social media spotlight this week as the world’s leading travel bloggers and influencers meet in the city for a two-day summit focused on the future of digital travel content.

The Social Travel Summit will see more than 40 bloggers from 14 countries join travel delegates from across the globe to discuss innovations in digital travel marketing, and hear from experts about the latest trends in the industry.

The bloggers, who are attending from some of Britain’s largest and most valuable inbound visitor markets including Europe and the USA, as well as China, India and Australia, will also share their own experiences of influencer travel marketing in peer-to-peer sessions.

Sponsored by Britain’s national tourism agency VisitBritain, the Social Travel Summit is being organised by travel influencer network iambassador in partnership with Tourism Northern Ireland and will be held at The Merchant Hotel on 25 and 26 September.

Emma Mead Head of Global PR at VisitBritain said: “We are really excited to be working in partnership with Tourism Northern Ireland and iambassador to bring the Social Travel Summit to Belfast. We know influencers can play a powerful role in promoting the UK to overseas visitors. We are looking forward to working with the bloggers and vloggers to shine the global spotlight on Belfast, as well as showcasing the huge variety of experiences that can be had across the UK.”

iambassador Chief Executive Keith Jenkins said: “We're confident that Social Travel Summit Belfast will be another milestone in terms of digital and influencer marketing insights and innovative ideas. Delegates can look forward to a range of events that showcase the wealth of culinary and cultural delights in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. The iambassador team is very much looking forward to the Social Travel Summit Belfast and I hope many people will follow the summit via social media using #STSBelfast.”

Janet Redler, Chief Executive of Janet Redler Travel & Tourism, added: "The Social Travel Summit provides the exciting city of Belfast with a first class opportunity to promote the fantastic tourism opportunities it offers to some of the most important travel influencers in the world. The summit also provides a chance for the bloggers to enjoy some of the many other tourism experiences in the UK."

The bloggers will take part in educational trips across the UK to see first-hand the tourism experiences on offer. Individual itineraries have been created with destination partners including Bath and Bristol, Exeter, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The trips will highlight lesser-known experiences and less-explored destinations alongside globally renowned and iconic landmarks and attractions – aligning with VisitBritain’s global campaign, I Travel For. Social media plays an important role in VisitBritain’s campaign, based on its global research into motivations, passions and inspiration for travel including adventure, fun, relaxation, discovery, culture, food and drink and the unexpected. 

Tourism is worth £127 billion to the UK economy, creating jobs and boosting economic growth across its nations and regions. For more information about the Social Travel Summit visit http://thesocialtravelsummit.com.

If you or our group would like to visit Belfast on a tailor-made tour of Northern Ireland, please do contact our friendly team today.