How Iconic Natural Attractions Create Unforgettable Visitor Experiences with National Trust

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The Giant's Causeway is one of those places that has to be seen to be believed. With its 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, dramatic coastal setting, and views across the sea to Scotland, it's one of the world's most extraordinary natural wonders. But as Jennifer Michael, Business Development Manager at the National Trust Northern Ireland, explains in the final episode of our In-Destination Experiences Series, it's the stories, history, and sense of place that turn a visit into something truly unforgettable.

Jennifer takes us behind the scenes of managing a UNESCO World Heritage Site that welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. We explore how the National Trust balances conservation with visitor demand through timed entry, thoughtful capacity management, and pricing strategies that encourage guests to visit during quieter times. It's a fascinating look at how one of the world's most iconic attractions protects both the landscape and the visitor experience for generations to come.

We also explore how the Giant's Causeway is encouraging visitors to stay longer and discover more of Northern Ireland. From guided cliff-top walks and local storytelling to experiences like Whiskey on the Rocks with the nearby Old Bushmills Distillery and coastal boat tours, Jennifer shares how partnerships with local businesses are creating richer, more immersive journeys while spreading the economic benefits of tourism throughout the region.

Whether you're planning your own trip to Northern Ireland or looking for inspiration to create more meaningful itineraries, this conversation is full of insights into what it takes to transform a world-famous landmark into an unforgettable destination experience.

Thanks to Pernod Ricard for sponsoring this series!

👉 Listen to How Iconic Natural Attractions Create Unforgettable Visitor Experiences

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_01 (00:05):
Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the Travel
Trends Podcast.
This is your host, DanChristian, and we're about to
begin our third episode into ourin-destination experiences.
This has been one of the mostpopular series that we've had in
the last few years.
We've done this now for threeseasons, where at this time of
the year, going into Europeanand northern hemisphere summer

(00:28):
travel, we focus on the mostcompelling destinations that our
listeners would be mostinterested in, including all the
travel advisors and touroperators that we know that are
interested in all the trendsthat are happening in travel.
And you would have heard overthe course of the first two
episodes, we had Fever join usand then Tripworks last week.
So, Fever, we talked about therole of destinations and how

(00:51):
they're evolving with theseincredible immersive
experiences, whether it be inyour hometown or where you're
traveling to.
And a big focus for them was thetechnology side, as you heard,
and the platforms they buildout.
And then last week we hadTripworks join the podcast to
highlight from a technologypoint of view and a distribution
platform what are theexperiences that are selling.
And today we actually have adestination.

(01:14):
But before I introduce ouramazing next guests, I just
wanted to acknowledge oursponsors, Perno Ricard, who
again have kindly sponsored ourIn Destination series.
And for those of you who are notfamiliar with Perno Ricard brand
homes, this is where brands thatyou're very familiar with,
especially our Canadians thatwalk into the LCBO, that you can
actually go and visit thesebrand homes and have immersive

(01:37):
world-class experiences fromiconic distilleries to
innovative visitor centers.
Purno Ricard brand homes explorehow destinations are shaping the
future of experientialhospitality and engaging
travelers once they arrive.
You can find out more aboutPernova brand homes and their
global portfolio of experiencesat Purno-Ricard.com.
And very fitting that our guesttoday is from Ireland, Northern

(02:00):
Ireland specifically, since thatis actually some of the most
incredible uh distilleries thatPernovicard has in their
portfolio, both in Ireland andScotland.
But today we get to focus onIreland and bring you to the
Giants Causeway.
And so we have Jennifer Michael,the Business Development Manager
for National Trust, joining us.
Jennifer, welcome to TravelTrends.

(02:21):
Thanks for being with us.

SPEAKER_03 (02:22):
Oh thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_01 (02:25):
For sure.
And Catherine, who organizes allof our guesting, was absolutely
adamant that we had to haveJennifer on this series.
And so we've just got a chanceto meet.
But obviously, Catherine is ahuge fan of yours, and she's
been to the Giants Causeway andshe loved that experience.
So tell everyone, Jennifer,first of all, a little bit about
your role and where you are inthe world.

(02:45):
And then we'll get into theGiant Causeway and how that
destination is evolving andchanging.

SPEAKER_03 (02:51):
Sure.
So I am I'm very fortunate towork and um and also I live just
about 15 minutes away from theGiants Causeway.
So it is my adoptive home inNorthern Ireland.
Um I was born actually inToronto.
So it it always feels veryfitting when I do any sort of

(03:12):
promotion of Northern Ireland inToronto, which fortunately in
this role as businessdevelopment manager, I get to do
quite a bit of.
So I always feel that as aCanadian, I I love Canada.
Um I love going back.
I have two brothers that umstill live in Toronto, so I am

(03:32):
back and forth um a good weebit, but I do think um I
especially appreciate thelandscape in Northern Ireland.
Um I I I love where I work, Ilove where I live, um, I love
the beaches, I love the people,um, I love yeah, just the the
vibrant music scene.
Um Northern Ireland has changeda lot in recent years and um

(03:56):
changed a lot for the better.
And I think um, yeah, I loveToronto, but um I do love
Northern Ireland and it is myadoptive home.

SPEAKER_01 (04:05):
Well, you obviously have a lovely accent, you've
chosen a beautiful part of theworld to live in because when uh
Jennifer first introducedherself, she's like, I'm from
Toronto.
I'm like, you're not fromToronto.

SPEAKER_03 (04:16):
It's it's quite it's quite funny.
A lot of people just a lot ofpeople here say to me, Oh,
that's not a Bush Mills accent.
Um, and they don't they don'tknow exactly where to place me,
which is probably appropriatebecause I've been here 26 years,
so I'm sort of bobbingmid-Atlantic accent-wise.

SPEAKER_01 (04:36):
Well, it's terrific you have the Canadian
connection, and obviously that'swhere you've got a lot of fans
here already from the work thatyou do in this market.
But and I know uh with a numberof tour operators who always uh
factor in Giants Causeway.
Obviously, it's one of the uhgreatest attractions in Northern
Ireland.
And when people are travelingthrough Ireland, I mean you've
got to get to the GiantsCauseway.
And so I've unfortunately nothave the privilege to go.

(04:58):
So it but what I think will beinteresting for me as well of
our listeners is to share a bitmore about the Giants Causeway
and all the reasons why.
Because what I'm looking forwardto in our conversation,
Jennifer, is that uh, and by wayof that introduction, is what
we're gonna be talking about uhtogether is truly a natural
landmark.
And uh how natural landmarkswhere people are compelled to

(05:19):
travel to be able to seesomething you know awe-inspiring
and truly spectacular andunderstand the history of our
planet at the same time.
Um, you're constantly stillhaving to evolve to traveler
needs, and obviously the typesof travelers are coming, their
motivations.
So before we get into all ofthat, like when I mentioned the
national trust, that may besomething that not all of our
global travelers are familiarwith.

(05:40):
Tell us a little bit more aboutthat organization and your role.
But obviously, you know, theorganization is about protecting
uh and then sharing in thisinstance, you know, in a
conversation like this aboutNorthern Ireland's most
extraordinary places.
So tell us a little bit aboutthe National Trust.

SPEAKER_03 (05:54):
Yeah.
So um I feel very fortunate towork for the National Trust.
It is a conservation charity.
So um we look after a widevariety of special places um in
across England, uh, Scotland,Northern Ireland, and Wales.
And the National Trust protectsand cares for places so that

(06:18):
people and places can thrive.
So it's really important to usthat we help the local area,
that we help our hostcommunities, that we spread the
benefit of tourism to thecommunities around us and to the
wider region of NorthernIreland.

(06:38):
Um, the Giants Causeway, as yousay, is in many ways.
Um if you if you know of oneplace in Northern Ireland, it's
it's often the Giants Causeway.
Um it is iconic.
If you see an image of theCauseway, it does, it does say
Northern Ireland.
Um so we're very fortunate thatit it draws a lot of people, but
we also want people to come toNorthern Ireland and to really

(07:02):
benefit the region, to stay.
Um there's so many morebeautiful places.
Um the Giants Causeway is isvery, very special.
It's it's often called the mostprotected place in Ireland.
Um so it's a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site.
And this year in 2026, we'recelebrating 40 years of UNESCO

(07:24):
status.
And it is, it's a it's a naturalnature reserve, it's an area of
special scientific interest.
Um, it is it's it's special inso many ways.
Um, there are examples ofcauseway columns in locations
around the world, but the GiantsCauseway is the largest

(07:45):
collection of accessiblecolumns.
So although you can see thehexagonal um formations of
causeway columns in otherplaces, you can't necessarily
get to them by foot.
Um, sometimes you can only seethem from the water, or there's
a very small section that youcan access.
Whereas at the Giants Causeway,we have over 40,000 accessible

(08:08):
columns.
So people can walk on them.
Um, we do get asked if itdamages the columns for people
to walk on them and to explorethem.
Um, and we have carried out um asustainability study that looked
at whether the volume ofvisitors was having an impact on
the stones, and um, we're veryrelieved that it's not.

(08:30):
We do um we do, as aconservation charity, we want um
people to access the beauty andpeace of nature.
So it is really important to usthat people can explore the
natural space and spend timewalking on the columns, sitting
on the columns, enjoying time innature.

(08:51):
And it is the the World HeritageSite covers five kilometers of
coastal landscape.
Um, so you really do need tocome and just see how beautiful
it is.
I often feel like as manybeautiful photographs that we
have of it, um none reallycapture how it makes you feel.
Um and um it is it is a placethat um is very special for for

(09:15):
lots of reasons.

SPEAKER_01 (09:17):
That's great.
And when we talk about a naturalattraction like the Giants
Causeway, the re the one of manyreasons I was keen to have this
conversation with you is becauseif we look at the way that these
destinations, especiallyecological uh areas or places
that have you know a greatinterest that are iconic, but
also uh may have some umcultural significance.

(09:38):
And and I'll give an examplethat many of our listeners are
likely familiar with, with Uluruin Australia, the largest
monolithic rock in the world.
And um, you know, it is a sacredsite for the indigenous people,
and I don't know, it wasreferred to as Ayers Rock for
many years, but we've kind ofthat's kind of been straightened
out, so it's actually been giventhis more appropriate name,
Uluru.
But many people still go to thatsite expecting to be able to

(10:00):
climb it.
And um, and so and so whenpeople go to destinations with a
specific mindset, and um then Iso I'm glad you mentioned right
off the top about the fact thatwhen people are because people
want to go and walk across thegiant causeway, it's literally
the one thing that people wantto get a picture.
So even establishing that upfront, that is when now people
are travelers are moreconscientious uh than ever,

(10:23):
thankfully, uh, and starting torecognize when a um and and this
is one of the challenges thatI'm sure you're very aware of
too, is that you know, whenpeople go to a site with a
particular expectation, and moreand more sites are needing to
prevent against um uh damagethat's caused by excessive
travel, um, travelers visitingtheir sites, and that also

(10:44):
changes the experience.
And then you kind of rewind andsay, Oh, 20 years ago, used
there was no fences and therewas no paths, and it was like
you could wander wherever youwanted.
And I never want to be one ofthose travelers that say, Oh, we
should have visited 20 yearsago.
So it's really interesting, theGiants Causeway is still very
accessible.
Tell everyone a little bit aboutthe natural landmark itself and
a little bit about thegeological significance, um, and

(11:06):
and specifically where it'slocated, because I'm sure for
those people listening to this,especially if you're driving and
you're trying to picture whereit is, um, uh, tell us how far
from Belfast, or exactly whereyou guys are located, um, and
then a little bit about thehistory and the formation of the
Giants Causeway.

SPEAKER_03 (11:21):
Sure.
So it really is on the verynorthern tip of Northern
Ireland.
So um, if you were coming fromBelfast, it would take you about
an hour 15, an hour 20 minutes.
Um, if you came the coastalroad, which is absolutely
beautiful um along the Antrimcoastline, it would be my
recommendation to come that way.

(11:41):
But probably you're talking umif you even came direct, you'd
be about maybe an hour 40minutes that that way.
Um, but it is absolutelystunning and it really is on the
the very um northernmost tip umof the Causeway Coastway, and um
from the the the GiantsCauseway, from the Grand
Causeway, um you can actuallysee Scotland, um, which it is a

(12:06):
land of fables and myths andlegends.
Um, and one of the um residinglegends of the Giants Causeway
is that the Causeway was builtto um go across to Scotland for
our Irish giant Finmicool to uhbattle the um Scottish giant Ben

(12:29):
and Donner, and it was onlywhenever he realized that the
the Ben and Donner was actuallymuch bigger than him that on
return he broke up the causeway.
So you can on the GrandCauseway, it's it's
understandable to um see, youknow, why that that story has
survived generations, thousandsof years, um, because on the

(12:50):
Grand Causeway the stonesliterally do disappear into the
water.
Um, and on the other side inScotland, in Staffa, um, it's
one of those places that I wasmentioning earlier that is only
accessible by boat.
So you the cause the columns doreappear um on the other side in
Scotland.

(13:11):
Um, so that um that feeds intoum one of our myths and and why
we are called the GiantsCauseway.
Um it is, of course, it's ageological wonder.
It um marks one of the mostsignificant periods of um the
Earth's formation as we know it,um and it's estimated that um

(13:35):
the Giants Causeway was formedover 60 million years ago.
Um, and it's the result of whatuh volcanic activity.
Um we were then in a valleywhere the Giants Causeway is
located now, and in the same waythat when you see a um a puddle
of mud cooling in sunshine, umyou often see cracks form in

(14:00):
that mud.
Um the same sort of thinghappened in the valley when the
lava cooled at a very slow rate,and those cracks formed um
basically um forming like ahoneycomb shape, which um so
we're very fortunate.
We have a lot of wonderful umexperts.
So at the Giants Causeway, wehave a um nature engagement

(14:25):
officer, and he um it was it washim, I remember explaining to
me, you know, that thehoneycomb, he keeps bees as
well.
So the honeycomb, that hexagonalshape is the um strongest shape
in nature, and it is amazingbecause um you do then see it um
in in flowers and in honeycomband and and in so many shapes in

(14:49):
nature.
Over there's now over 40,000columns that are accessible.
Um I say now because there werepreviously more.
Um the Giants Causeway before itwas in the care of the National
Trust, it was quarried.
So there are Causeway columnsthat were removed and they are

(15:11):
still found all over the world.
Um sometimes we'll get sentlinks to them on Facebook
Marketplace or um uh eBay, um,believe it or not.
But uh there were there weremany, many columns removed from
the Causeway and and and sold umbefore it was in the care of the

(15:31):
National Trust.

SPEAKER_01 (15:33):
Well, and that highlights obviously one of the
reasons, certainly, to be partof the National Trust, but also
how traveler activity haschanged in the uh and where
tourism can be really a forcefor good to not only make sure a
destination is protected, butalso that the um what we see in
other areas you speak to someonelike Shannon Soul from the
Adventure Travel and TradeAssociation, who's done a great

(15:53):
TED talk on this with howtourism can prevent the you know
destruction of of habitats um bycreating another opportunity
than lumber or mining.
And so that's a good example ofthat.
And I'm sure obviously peopleare trying to sell you back
pieces that um but you can't.

SPEAKER_03 (16:09):
I know it's it's a funny thing.
Um, we do sometimes usuallypeople will contact us in horror
to say someone has removed thisum and um they're selling it on
eBay.
Um and we also get it is it is aplace of myth and legend, and
there's a lot of superstition aswell.

(16:31):
Um so there is a belief thatit's bad luck to remove a
Causeway so stone from theGiants Causeway.
And I remember so I've workedfor the National Trust now for
10 years, and I remember when Ifirst started my first summer,
um I remember receiving thisenvelope and it was addressed
just to the Giants CausewayVisitor Center, and it was a

(16:54):
visitor, I don't know um fromwhere basically posted back a
small piece of of Causeway um ofCauseway stone basalt and
basically said that theybelieved they had bad luck
because they had removed it andplease return it.
And I remember it was one of thefirst things that um one of the

(17:16):
first stories that I did.
So we did um we did a weekly, wedidn't know it was an anonymous,
you know, parcel in the post,but I remember we did um a
little photograph of of one ofthe the rangers, you know,
returning the stone to its itsum home place and um did a
little post on social media tosay um you know it has been

(17:38):
returned.
Um but it it is funny.

SPEAKER_01 (17:41):
It is um And don't ever do it again.

SPEAKER_03 (17:44):
Yeah, please.

SPEAKER_01 (17:45):
That's a lesson to everybody else.
Absolutely.
It's bad luck.

SPEAKER_00 (17:49):
We'll be right back.
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SPEAKER_01 (19:46):
And now, back to the show.
So, Jennifer, one of the thingsI was keen to ask you about how
you take uh one of the thingsyou've been really successful
with is taking a landmark andturning it into an experience.
So even hearing from Catherinewas one of the most fantastic
places she's visited.
She can't wait to get back withher kids.
And uh, and I've heard that froma number of people that have
gone to the giant causeway, um,have come back and and this is

(20:08):
for me as an avid traveler, youknow, there's the desire to
check things off a bucket list,which is an expression I don't
uh particularly like, butobviously I get the expression
is that you know, people want tohave seen these things in their
lifetime.
Um, but really obviously theopportunity there is for someone
to have an experience, and aswe've been talking a lot about
uh in 2026, a transformativetravel experience, right?

(20:30):
People come back changed orimpacted in some way.
And so what I want tospecifically ask you along those
lines is that you know you'restarting to mention the
storytelling, some of the localheritage, and then also the
mythology.
And I'm keen to know howimportant they are in bringing
the giant causeway to life formany travelers, because there is
the geological significance, butas you've highlighted, there's

(20:50):
many other reasons why peoplemight be intrigued to come and
explore the Giant's Causeway.
And I guess what I'm askingabout that is how much of that
is very intentional in themarketing and the messaging and
how effective that is at bothbringing people to the Giants
Causeway and making sure whenthey're there that they actually
come away with you know a muchbetter understanding of the

(21:11):
Giants Causeway and what andwhat they leave to go back home
with.
So I, you know, I I always findthat really fascinating as a as
a marketer.
Um, is you know, you you have anidea of what message you want to
try and convey, and then does itland?
And then do people walk away umsharing what it was that you
were hoping they'd get out ofit.
So tell us a little bit about, Iguess, really how you've

(21:31):
transformed a landmark into anexperience, which ultimately I
know leads for people stayinglonger or doing more in the
area, so to kind of benefit thelocal community.
I'd love to see I'd love to hearhow you've approached that.

SPEAKER_03 (21:42):
Yeah.
Um so we do if if I had if I hada visitor coming and um they
were coming for the first time,the number one thing I would
recommend is that they do aguided tour.
So I think people really bringThe place to life.
And if you do a guided tour, youhave the opportunity to ask

(22:05):
questions.
Um, we are so fortunate that wehave honestly, I think the most
fantastic group of storytellersum in our team, and we've got
people that have they they canall deliver a guided tour, but
they have their little areas ofof specialty.

(22:26):
So if I had someone come andthey are like we do get, we get
university geology um studentscome and um we have guides that
we would definitely assign thembecause that is their passion
and that is their interest.
Um in our storyteller team, wehave um we have uh former

(22:48):
teachers, we've got um a marinebiologist, and we've got an
entomologist, and we have wehave a lot of specialists that
can go deeper into a particulararea, um, but they're all
really, really good.
I think it is part of what makesNorthern Ireland special, and
Ireland as a whole is that ourpeople will go a step further to

(23:13):
bring the place to life, toreally engage and really uh so
often I I love it when I get areview from a visitor and they
can tell me the name of theirguide because they remember and
they will remember that person.
And I think it's that personalinteraction that really makes a
difference to the day-to-dayvisitor.

(23:35):
So when you visit the GiantsCauseway, you um you can take
the visitor experience, andthat's where you get the
opportunity to have a guidedtour and that's included in your
ticket charge, it's not in anyadditional charge.
Uh, this time of year, when weare busier, um we have guided
tours leaving the center everyhalf hour, and um those are free

(23:58):
to join, and um, I woulddefinitely recommend those.
And then we do also have a suiteof signature experiences.
So those are um they're they'reall collaborative experiences
where we partner with localbusinesses to deliver
experiences that allow thevisitor to delve a bit deeper,

(24:23):
spend a bit longer, and umreally kind of really understand
the site better.
Um they are it's funny, wheneveryou were doing your intro and
you were talking about um the umit made me think of uh whiskey
on the rocks because it's wherewe partner.

(24:45):
So you have Giants Causeway, uhNorthern Ireland's first World
Heritage Site, and it's twomiles down the road from
Bushmills, where you have theworld's oldest Irish whiskey
distillery.
So Whiskey on the Rocks was isis one of our signature
experiences where you get aguided tour on the World

(25:05):
Heritage Site, but you get tolearn about how both places of
global significance haveinfluenced the local community,
um, how they have impacted eachother, uh, how we work together.
And also you get, so you have aguide from our storytellers

(25:26):
team, also someone uh a guidefrom the distillery on the tour.
So if you're a real whiskeybuff, you have the the
distillery um guide to hand andyou get to do a guided tour and
then a tasting at the end.
So it's available um for groupsto book, and it really is what

(25:47):
it gives people a much moreintimate, um, it's a smaller
group setting.
You obviously get to askwhatever questions.
So if your interest is historyor or geology or um, you know,
the the myths and legends of theGiants Causeway, you've got a
storyteller there.
And if your interest is whiskey,um you get to have a very

(26:09):
personal um experience oftasting whiskey and also
understanding more about thedistillery and um you know how
it started and and how itimpacted the area.
Um so it's it's a fascinatingone.
It's one that is very popular,um, as I'm sure you can imagine.
It's the sort of one that whenpeople, when other visitors see

(26:31):
it, they say, Oh, I want to dothat.
I want that's what that's what Iwant to do.
But it is a lovely thing ifsomeone has been once, they
could maybe come back and do oneof our signature experiences.
Um, and they are all, I I couldtalk for a long time about all
of them, but um they're allcollaborative and they all
partner with another localbusiness um and really tap into

(26:57):
some of the the the wealth ofexperience and um expertise that
our neighbors have um to share.

SPEAKER_01 (27:07):
Well, I love that you mentioned guided tours
because as our listeners know,I'm a huge fan of multi-day and
single-day guided tours.
I really do believe a guidebrings a destination to life in
a much more uh personal andmeaningful way than any
technology can uh attempt toreplicate.
It's one thing to be able tohave, you know, previously would
have done a Google search, butnow obviously you're gonna use

(27:29):
Claude or Chat GPT, and you'regonna get the, you know, you'll
get the history, you'll get, youknow, you'll get enough detail
to be able to look around andhave a better understanding.
But it really takes someone indestination that can truly bring
uh the uh uh the story to lifeby virtue of um uh you know
being part of the community,being uh a local expert, and

(27:50):
also um being able to uh um toto really weave it more of a
narrative arc.
Like when you tell someone toget to destination and you close
your eyes and uh imagine thissetting you know 500 or 1000
years ago and how it formed, andopen your eyes and look at how
it's and like that's so muchmore uh uh memorable than just
getting off out of your caryourself, going for a walk,

(28:11):
having a look, and not reallytruly appreciating what it is
that you're experiencing.

SPEAKER_02 (28:16):
Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 (28:17):
So tell us, obviously, uh now you're giving
me reasons to go more than oncebecause um I definitely would
love the idea of a experiencebecause one of the reasons I
know that uh I'm you know Itravel for, many people travel
for, is the sensory experience.
So it's one thing to have yoursenses uh heightened by virtue
of having that natural awe, butit's something else then to
actually taste the local spiritsand get and develop human

(28:39):
connection, like actually havingsomeone that can uh help you
better understand the culture.
So I guess what I'd love to askuh as it relates to that,
Jennifer, is whether or notyou've seen a measurable benefit
in terms of more visitors comingto the Giants Causeway by
introducing those types ofexperiences or encouraging
people to come back and whatit's meant to the local
community when you're obviouslyyou know just an hour away from

(29:02):
Belfast, so you can make it aday trip, but I'm sure obviously
it's beneficial for people tospend a night and explore the
rest of the area.
So, what have you seen as sortof economic benefit, or what
some of the things that might beinteresting to our listeners to
understand um about the positiveeffects of the evolution of the
destination?

SPEAKER_03 (29:18):
I think probably the best example um that I have
personal experience of is ourour first signature experience,
is um it's the clifftopexperience.
So for it, we partner with alocal company called Away We
Walk.
And when that partnershipstarted, um the owner, um Emir

(29:42):
Flanagan, she was doing all theguided tours herself.
Um, it was her business, she wasum she was delivering them.
And essentially it's a guidedclifftop experience.
So from the Giants Causeway, yougo on a Wrangler bus to
Dunseverick Castle, which thenyou're dropped off and you hike

(30:06):
five miles back along theclifftop path, and it is truly
spectacular.
Um I lived close to the site forfar too many years before I did
this walk, and um, I've now donethe clifftop experience three
times, taking other people onit.

(30:28):
Um, because you just although Ihad typed the words that the
World Heritage Site covers fivekilometres, those were words I
knew.
It's only when I walked it thatI had an actual sense of awe at
the scale and the beauty of thestones, the columns in the

(30:52):
cliffs.
Now, I I said earlier that wehave 40,000 accessible columns.
Um, when you do the clifftopexperience, you realize how many
more columns there are thataren't accessible because you're
seeing them from the clifftop,you're seeing oh, it just it is
it is truly spectacular.

(31:14):
And that clifftop experience, sowhen it started, like I say,
Amor was delivering a guidedhike along the clifftop paths,
but it wasn't in partnershipwith us.
And um we recognized that shewas doing a great job.
Um she had a you knowsustainability at heart.

(31:36):
Um, she talked about you knowleaving no trace and um
promoting you know the ecology,the wildlife, the flora, the
fauna of the local area.
But we then partnered to developthe clifftop experience, and
Amer now it has transformed herbusiness.

(31:56):
Um so she now employs I thinkfive guides to deliver guided
experiences for her.
And again, they're all localpeople who are passionate about
the landscape.
Um, so that that you know, westill um at the very start we
were always saying Emer willtake you, and now it's it's you

(32:17):
know a way a we walk guide.
But you know, I I have um greatfaith in all of the guides to be
able to deliver a fantasticexperience.
And it really has um it's it'stransformed her business.
When we started, this waspre-pandemic times, um, so we

(32:38):
were looking for us, it was away of offering something that
wasn't on the same path that themajority of visitors would take.
So it was trying to sort ofdisperse visitors, and there was
a benefit in in that for us interms of less people in the one
way, there wouldn't be queues,there wouldn't be congestion, a

(33:00):
nicer experience for everyone.
There was that benefit ofsupporting a local business that
was doing something really well.
Um, and it also has meant thatit's it's a much longer, so it's
it's basically like a four-hourexperience.
So you have a personal guide forfour hours, you get to learn a

(33:20):
lot more about um the work thatwe do that on a 45-minute tour,
you can't really, you know,there's a there's a limit to how
much you can hear about, but youget to to learn um much more
about the area, about thewildlife.
You get to see examples ofconservation in action, and it's
a much more engaging experience.

(33:42):
And you we see from the thefeedback that um the clifftop
experience gets.
I've heard so many people saythat it was the highlight of
their trip to Ireland.
Um, but it's it it really is umit's a spectacular experience
that I think you will neverforget.

(34:05):
And um yeah, I I just I I love Ilove that I've got to be a small
part of seeing that transform.
Um it's it's worked well for theWorld Heritage Site, it's worked
well for a local business, andit's really provided an engaging
experience that will leavepeople um with a really deep

(34:30):
connection to this place.

SPEAKER_01 (34:33):
Well, I know Northern Ireland has become one
of the fastest growing tourismdestinations.
Um and clearly Giants Causewayis one of those contributors.
Um, there's many great reasonsto visit uh um Northern Ireland,
Belfast, obviously, there's somuch to Belfast, the Titanic
Museum.
Like there's so many reasons tovisit Northern Ireland and
Ireland itself, too, for thatmatter.

(34:54):
And even as you mentioned, beingable to see Scotland, like if
you've been to Ireland, you goto Scotland.
If you've been to Scotland,you've got to go to Ireland.
Once you become enamored withthe British Isles and have a
better understanding of thatpart of the world, it's a place
you want to come back to.
And I say that as someone whowas born in England, raised in
Canada, and um, and still hasstill so much to see.
But one of the things I'd uhvery keen to ask you, given

(35:14):
you've seen that growthpost-pandemic, what does that
look like in terms of uh thevisitor numbers?
Because one of the things youjust mentioned there that I
think is very important forlisteners to understand is the
fact that you are veryconscientious of distributing
travelers to different um ondifferent trails.
Having just returned fromScotland, I had a magnificent
trip uh to the Isle of Sky, butit was also packed.

(35:39):
And it was reminded me ofIceland, you know, uh five years
ago, where every parking lot youcan't find a spot.
And it was it was it was areminder to me of this is the
challenges we have in tourism.
You have one idea of what theexperience is going to be to go
visit in that natural iconicdestination.
Um, and then you get there andyou're overwhelmed and you can't
uh and so this is kind of theperception versus reality with

(36:03):
travel.
And so it's one of the thingsclearly you need to manage
successfully and are.
So tell us a little bit aboutthe increase in travelers and
how you are managing that tomake sure that when people come
to the Giants Causeway, they'restill gonna have the experience
that they were hoping for.

SPEAKER_03 (36:17):
Yeah.
It it's something that we'revery um very conscious of.
So pre-pandemic um 2019, wewould have had 1.3 million
visitors to the Giants Causeway.
And we in the in the year thatthe years leading up to that, we
realized it was impactingvisitor experience.

(36:39):
It was impacting our team.
Um, it was um it wasn't aligningwith our our conservation goals.
Um we, you know, a lot of whatyou touched on there, we we we
do really have an understandingof, you know, we have limited
parking around the GiantsCauseway.

(37:01):
So um since then, we haveintroduced a number of measures.
Um we were among the first inNorthern Ireland, um, the first
National Trust property inNorthern Ireland to introduced
to introduce online bookingwhere we limited capacity so
that only a certain number ofpeople could book tickets in

(37:22):
every time slot.
Um and really that that's thatthat has helped disperse
visitors, but um uh we've kindof almost had to do it in in
tiered um tiered management umterms.
So we started off with withlimiting capacity for every

(37:45):
slot.
Um then two years ago weintroduced tiered pricing.
So um we have cheaper umtickets, so there's a a price
benefit if you come early in themorning or late in the day.
Um we sort of found that thatkind of 11 until two,

(38:07):
especially, um 11 to 3 is kindof when everyone wanted to
visit.
So um the dynamic pricingdefinitely has started to even
things out throughout the day.
Um, we have off-peak um pricingas well, and so just incentives
to encourage people to come whenit is quieter.

(38:29):
It is um, I love, I love so I'mI'm based between the Giants
Causeway and Caracarid RoadBridge, and both of them I love
to get out for a walk firstthing in the morning.
And Karakarede is um it's justseven miles around the coast.
Um, it's uh a rope bridge thatwas first erected by salmon

(38:49):
fishermen in 1755, and itconnects so it is a bridge made
of rope that connects themainland to a small island.
And to do that, to do Caracarederope bridge first thing in the
morning, you could be you couldhave the island to yourself, and
it is it is just it is sobeautiful, it is so special to

(39:11):
hear the birds and and not tohave not to have tons of people
around you just is amazing.
And even now, even this summer,July, middle of July, where
we're at in now, um, if you goearly in the morning, it is so
much quieter than it is at 12noon.
Um, so we do with there'sthere's lots of different ways

(39:35):
in terms of our marketing, wetry to show that, you know, kind
of early morning um imagery umor the the later in the day.
Um we do it with priceincentives.
Um we we do try to have like ifwe're having influencers come,
um we try to get them to come inthose times so that they're

(39:56):
showcasing it um at its best andat its its most peaceful.
Um and it is it is working, butI suppose the thing is we kind
of know that we don't want toget back to 1.3 million visitors
um at the Giants Causeway everyyear.
And so that's why there is anemphasis for us on providing and

(40:24):
and developing those signatureexperiences that all kind of
disperse visitors and offer areally authentic local
experience.
Um, so like one of the ones thatwe have at the moment is Wonders
of Land and Sea, and it's a boattrip.
So you get on in Ballycastle andyou do the Causeway Coastway,

(40:47):
um, and and we have beenoffering that for a number of
years, but I found when we go tomarket now, a lot of operators
are asking, they're asking usfor something more.
Um so they not only want to do aboat trip, but they want to do
um they want to have local foodand drink on board.

(41:09):
And um it it we're just we're sofortunate with the local
businesses that we have.
So just as an example, umaquaholics who are the local
boat boat provider, um they're agreat name.
I know, aren't there, isn't it?
Fantastic.
Um uh they I met with um theirowner recently, Richard Laverty,

(41:32):
and I was asking him, Oh, if weget asked for this, is there
anything you can do?
And lo and behold, um he said,Oh, would they be interested in
our scallop experience?
And I said, What what is that?
So it it it transpires that thisis something that they they
already um offer for aquacustomers, but they do um diving

(41:57):
and hand-cutting scallops offRatlin Island, and then you
barbecue the scallops on theboat.
And you know, in terms ofsustainability, those are like
hand-harvested scallops.
Um, it's you know, it's asustainable practice, it's um, I
mean, it's fresh.

(42:18):
You've just literally hand cutyour own scallop and you're
barbecuing it on board the boat.
Um, you know, it's things likethat that I get so excited about
because this is um, you know,these are these this is a local
company and it's exactly thesort of thing that um we want to
support.
And I know that visitors, Imean, can you imagine doing?

(42:40):
I want to do it.
Um can you imagine doing thatand tasting your hand-cut
barbecued scallop fresh, youknow, floating on blue waters
off the coast of NorthernIreland?
That sounds pretty prettyspectacular to me.
Um, so it's it's things likethat that we really want to
encourage people to do.

(43:00):
It's not about dashing down andgetting a selfie on the stones
and back to Galway.
You know, there's so much herefor people to do and explore and
see and taste and yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (43:14):
Well, just on that note, because this is where I'm
sure people listening to this,if um, and whether they're
travelers or travel advisors,because since obviously this is
a B2B podcast, a lot of peopleare looking for inspiration to
recommend to their clients.
Um, and so if they are adamantthat now their clients need to
have uh Giants Causeway on theirlist, obviously, at a minimum,

(43:35):
we want people to uh to do a daytrip, like but to do it like
it's so because you mentionedthe parking situation, the the
benefit obviously of going on auh a coach with a uh a group is
obviously you don't have toworry about the transport, you
don't have to worry about theparking, you obviously have a
guide, you're gonna still gonnahave an experience.
But for those people who arelooking to have uh to spend more

(43:56):
time and deeper uh have a deeperappreciation for the area.
One of you mentioned a fewthings that really stood out to
me there, Jennifer, that for meintrigued me more about all the
things I should experience whileI'm there.
And one of them you highlighted,of course, is you know the the
way you've done your dynamicpricing so that people can go
earlier in the day or later.
For me, I'm a huge sunsetperson.
I love getting sunset photos.

(44:17):
So like that's my preferred timeof the day.
Um and some people are uh liketo be first up and early, and
you wouldn't have thatopportunity if you took the
guided tour because you wouldhave been departing Belfast at a
set time, arriving at the youknow the peak of the day.
So you have the benefit of beingable to get there first thing in
the morning.
What are some of the thingsyou'd recommend for travelers
who are going to come to theGiants Causeway or coming back?

(44:40):
What other experiences shouldthey build into their itinerary?

SPEAKER_03 (44:45):
Um, so there are there's so many um amazing
places in Northern Ireland.
Um I did mention earlier aboutthe music, um, Belfast as a a
city of culture.
Um I think that definitely it isworth spending some time in

(45:06):
Belfast just to experience that,the nightlife, the pub, the
music.
Um that is is definitelysomething I think that um if
you're if you're coming toNorthern Ireland, you really you
want to experience a taste ofthat.
Um I love and I do I do bring umCanadians over quite often and I

(45:31):
love the coast road um up fromBelfast.
So there's beautiful littlevillages like Cushendal,
Cushendon, Carnlock, um alongthat Antrim Coast Road.
Um and that would eventuallybring you up to Caracareed Um
Road Bridge, um, whichdefinitely, as I said, is um

(45:54):
it's it's stunning and it's it'salways a little bit more
peaceful.
Um then you come along um tothen the Giants Causeway along
the Causeway coastal route, andalong that way, along those
roads you have um, you know,there's there's the ruins of
castles.
I just know the things thatpeople typically associate with

(46:16):
Ireland.
It's the pub, isn't it?
It's the music, it's um thebeaches, it's the castles, it's
the ruins.
Um and honestly, there's there'sso much in that era.
You have you have the the ruinsof Dunsever Castle, um, you have
Dunloose Castle, which um isonly you know maybe 10 10 miles

(46:39):
from the Giants Causeway.
Um, there's so much to actuallycome and stay.
And we we would of courseencourage people to spend time.
Um and it it is that I know ifyou're coming in a coach and you
are limited um in terms of whattime of day you can be
travelling from your destinationto reach the uppermost northern

(47:02):
point of of Northern Ireland.
Um, but in the area, if if youare able to to stay locally,
there is there is so much to seeand do in a really condensed
area that you would you would bedelighted.
And I think people are oftensurprised by how amazing the

(47:24):
food and drink is here.
Um again, it's something that Ihear people say, or you know, I
don't know.
I think if it's your first timecoming to Norman and Ireland,
you maybe have an idea of meatand potatoes, um, and um, or
maybe lamb.
And um actually, I think peopleso often are really, really

(47:46):
delighted by the quality oflocal cuisine.

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SPEAKER_01 (50:18):
And now, back to the show.
As the Giants Causeway hascontinued to get more
international appeal as a trulyiconic global destination that
people have added to their list.
Where else are you seeingtravelers coming from?
Obviously, it's always been, youknow, the this concept of expats
that people travel back, youknow, if they've got heritage or

(50:39):
routes to Ireland.
Um but more and more, one of thethings that we're certainly
seeing is that people aretraveling from all over the
world with differentmotivations.
Um and all of a sudden at adestination can take on a uh new
meaning just by virtue of eithera marketing campaign or just
some really effective messagingof people leaving and going
back.
And all of a sudden, you know,you're seeing a lot more

(51:01):
Japanese tourists or um and sotell us a little bit about the
types of travelers that arecoming to the Giants Causeway
and where you're seeing thegrowth.
And I I say that knowing thatyou're obviously trying to
manage that growth.
So um, because my follow-onquestion to this is going to be
about sustainability.
So um keep that in mind becauseI want to know how you're gonna
continue to manage a fragilesite like uh you know, um UNESCO

(51:24):
World Heritage Site for futuregenerations.
But in terms of the types ofpeople who are coming to Giants
Causeway, tell us a little bitmore about how it is um growing
with international significanceand and who's traveling there.

SPEAKER_03 (51:37):
Yep.
Um so certainly we do we we dooffer we we see a lot of um
North Americans, both Canada andthe United States.
Um Canada has been increasing,um, and a lot of people like
keep me going that this is likemy single um like this is my

(51:58):
work is to bring all theCanadians and um and we have
seen um a rise in our Canadianvisitors um and certainly so
North America would be ourlargest single market um of
visitors to the Giants Causeway.
Um we do see visitors fromaround the world, and certainly

(52:19):
pre-pandemic, the largest marketthat we were seeing growth in
was the Asian market.
Um now post-pandemic um thathasn't really returned.
It's starting to slowly trickleback now, but um both um the
emerging markets of China andIndia are very slowly starting

(52:41):
to return.
Um and in terms ofsustainability, it is so trying
to increase the number ofvisitors who will visit
year-round um is part of oursustainable tourism strategy.
So we do target markets that aremore likely to visit off-peak

(53:01):
season.
So um it's one of one of themany reasons we love Canadians.
Um, Canadians will typicallytravel, um they're they're more
likely to visit off-peak seasonand they're more likely to stay
longer.
So again, that feeds into thesustainability for the wider
region.
Um and in terms of um where wewhere we see the visitors coming

(53:24):
from, we do have aninternational profile.
So we we offer our audio guidesin 11 languages, and then we
also monitor the request foradditional languages, and we do
sometimes see surprising umstats come out of that.
Um, so recently um there was areal peak in a request for

(53:48):
Lithuanian, um, and we were sortof surprised by that.
Um, but it can be um, like yousay, people visit and go back
and they, you know, are ravingabout it and and really
recommend Northern Ireland orIreland as a destination, and
more people word of mouth docome.
Um, we do work closely withTourism Ireland and Tourism

(54:10):
Northern Ireland on overseasmarketing campaigns.
Um, so sometimes we do see um anuplift, you know, uh on the back
of some of those internationalcampaigns.
Um, but we do um we have quite alot and we do quite a lot of
work in in Europe as well.

(54:30):
So um, and it's interesting too,we would monitor, say, the likes
of the Cliff Top experience thatI mentioned earlier.
Um we we see that it is mostoften um a lot of a lot of North
Americans, a lot of Canadians,um, and for Europeans, we see a
lot of French and German.

(54:53):
Um just I suppose um with thatinterest in um you know being
active and and being in theoutdoors and um hiking, that
sort of um demographic.
So again, we would use some ofthat um insight in our marketing
um internationally of thoseexperiences that we want to

(55:16):
really that we know will appealto those markets.

SPEAKER_01 (55:20):
Well, and when it comes to then the visitor
experience, obviously, you know,when you mentioned about dynamic
pricing and trying to distributewhen people are coming, one of
the best ways to do that, as youwell know, is through technology
and giving people thosepresenting those options.
I'm very keen to know if thereare some takeaways for our
listeners when it comes to thetechnologies that you guys are

(55:42):
using to manage the giantcauseway.
Um, and if you've been able toleverage any of those
technologies to improve thevisitor engagement experience,
since so many companies now arealso trying to figure out what
is their technology roadmap asit relates to their destination,
which is you know sometimes adifficult thing for a natural

(56:02):
attraction to, you know, that isyou know now needs to tap into
how do we use this technology.
And the the the other part I'dlove to ask you as it relates to
that, Jennifer, since theyreally go together, um, is as
you uh is distribution, youknow, and giving the opportunity
to purchase those tickets totour operators um versus just
you know uh direct uh travelerswho are going to purchase them.

(56:24):
So uh I'd love to hear your viewon uh technology and how
important that's been.
And then how does that relate tohow you distribute and uh and
market the uh such an amazingdestination?

SPEAKER_03 (56:36):
Again, it is um it it constantly feels like we are
trying to find a balance.
Um so the National Trust, we'rea conservation charity.
What we want is to help peopleenjoy nature, beauty, history.

(57:01):
Um I suppose at our core we wantpeople to um we we think there's
benefit in finding quiet innature.
So um it's something that wereally ch it is a challenge.
Um when you have aninternational audience in

(57:23):
particular, um a very um Isuppose the easiest thing would
be an app, isn't it?
You know, um that ismultilingual.
Um but it is it is such achallenge because we don't want
people to be walking around theWorld Heritage site looking at a

(57:44):
screen in their hand.
Um so as with most things, umit's a bit like a residor
numbers, um it is about balance.
So the audio guides are, Isuppose, um a middle ground.
So if you if you aren't Englishspeaking and don't want to do

(58:06):
the guided tour with anEnglish-speaking guide, then the
audio guides, it's an earpiece.
You don't need to look at it.
You can you can look whereyou're walking and look at
what's around you, but it canhelp you understand how the
causeway was formed, some of thehistory, some of the the um you
know, facts about the site, andum you can learn as you walk.

(58:30):
Um, but we've we have exploredum options.
Um, there's no denying thattechnology does present um
amazing opportunities to youknow bring to life um whether
it's um the causeway formingthrough volcanic activity or the

(58:54):
myths and legends of Finn McCooland Ben and Donner battling it
out over the seas.
Um, you know, there there is anopportunity, but I suppose for
us it's about there being a timeand a place for that.
Um and for for the GiantsCauseway, the the visitor
centre, it has an exhibition andan interactive um display.

(59:19):
And we are um so this this yearwe are putting in a new
installation within the center.
And again, it feels like itfeels it feels more right um to
have that immersivetechnological experience within
the center.

(59:39):
Um so it enhances the visitorexperience, but it allows people
to go out to the actual Causewaycolumns and take a breath, enjoy
the bird song, enjoy hearing thewaves crash against the stones,
be in that moment in nature andsit.

(01:00:02):
Um, I know Catherine, um, whenshe was there with Royal Irish
Tours, um you know, they theyreally just didn't want to leave
the Causeway Stones.
Um, and and I I love that.
I love that people want to spendmore time just being there, just
just being in that space.
And I suppose, um, sorry, that'sa long-winded way of saying, I

(01:00:25):
think it's about balance.
I think it's about enhancingwhere you can, but not taking
away from peaceful time innature.

SPEAKER_01 (01:00:38):
Well, and what you just described there is a
challenge that so many travelershave when you have your phone
that you want to take pictureswith, and there's lots of
benefits to having apps on yourphone, but when it starts to
take away from the actualin-destination experience, and
that's the challenge that I knowuh I always have because you're
multitasking on your phone, andwhat you really want to do when
you get to a destination likethe Giants Causeway, and I can't

(01:01:00):
wait to experience this formyself, is to actually put my
phone down and just be in themoment and actually because that
the difference between alphabrain waves and beta brain
waves, for example, which ummany of our listeners might be
familiar, you know, with youknow, uh meditative state, the
um with your alpha brain wavesas opposed to beta, where you're
always on, always anxious,always, and um, which is

(01:01:21):
unfortunately how most of ushave to function day to day, um,
just to get through our worklife and our personal life.
But when you're on holiday, youreally uh that's uh the concept
of mindfulness.
A lot of people talk about beingmindful, but I think very few of
us actually ever are, unlessthat really is something you
work towards.
But when you do have thatmoment, you describe Catherine
that they don't want to leave,it's because something they're

(01:01:41):
they're having a moment wherethey're feeling connected to the
world or to themselves in a waythat they're seeing something.
And I this is what I genuinelylove about travel.
So I actually quite like thefact that it's not a major focus
for you.
It's like the you know, thetechnology is there to enhance
uh people's ability to to booktickets and and um but otherwise

(01:02:02):
it you're not you're notlayering in from my
understanding, uh Jennifer, thetechnology into the experience
itself.
So on that, tell tell us alittle bit about where you are
headed, like looking ahead forthe Giants Causeway in 2027.
And I say that knowing that youknow a lot of the best things
about it um already exist.
And and so it's not about howit's evolving and changing.

(01:02:23):
It is actually about trying toget back to what it is that is
really special and meaningfulabout it.
But um, in terms of what you'reseeing, though, from travelers,
their expectations, how they'reevolving and changing, and how
you're reacting to that, whatdoes travel look like to the
Giants Causeway in 2027?
What are some of your your plansfor the year ahead?

SPEAKER_03 (01:02:42):
I think that um one of the the lovely things um
about travelers now is that theyare looking to connect deeper
and they are looking to spendlonger, they're happy to pay
more, they're happy to um reallyexperience something, whether

(01:03:08):
that is um you know, a food anddrink element, or it's hiking
the cliffs, or it's um, youknow, sitting in the fisherman's
cottage hearing stories of lifeas a character fisherman, they
they they are really happy toinvest in experiences and that
that sits so well with us.

(01:03:29):
Um it means that even fromsomething like the the souvenir
that someone a postcard say.
Um so in our visitor center, um,over 80% of what we sell is
crafted on the island ofIreland.
So you can actually pick up apostcard that has been hand

(01:03:50):
designed by a local artist, youcan read who who that is, you
can go and find that person, youcan follow them on Instagram.
Um having that connection isjust you know a small example of
of what we're really seeing.
People love that.
People love that they can thatit's it's um you know someone

(01:04:13):
from Northern Ireland that madethe muck or designed the t-shirt
or whatever it is, and and thatsort of feeds through from you
know local food and drink um tothe sorts of items that people
choose to buy.
Um we see so many people, peoplewill contact us after they leave

(01:04:36):
and say, um, I I saw a mug thatwas um that was handmade by um a
local designer.
Is there any way that you couldconnect me with this person?
And that is our that that thatthrills us to be able to do
that.
Um, because that is a localbusiness that truly would not

(01:05:01):
have access to those visitors.
Um, you know, they're a lot ofthem will only maybe visit the
Giants Causeway and um it reallyis a platform and that is truly
that's truly what we thrive onis being able to make sure that

(01:05:22):
local people benefit from theinternational platform that is
the Giants Causeway.
So I love that people people aremaking those choices, they're
choosing um sustainable options,they're they're more eco-minded,
and I think that's um it's itgives us real opportunity to

(01:05:43):
really develop.
So I'm I'm really excited aboutum further developing our
signature experiences, um beingable to offer more, um, so
offering elevated experiences.
So maybe we have whiskey on therocks, but Then we partner with
another local business to bringin a food element.

(01:06:05):
Or we we have a little tasterevent with a local company in
October coming up, and it's theChocolate Manor, which is a
local chocolate provider inCastle Rock.
So those types of opportunities,knowing that people are really
looking for them and knowingthat it benefits local

(01:06:26):
businesses, I hope that it istransformative in the way that
we've seen with like theclifftop experience, really
changing a way of WeeWalksbusiness and business model and
truly being beneficial for theregion.

SPEAKER_01 (01:06:45):
That's great.
And obviously it clearly is.
And then this is where when wethink about how many travelers
are going to be experiencingtravel in the next 10 or 20
years, I mean, the numbers arejust going to double.
And this is where I'm, you know,I'm very excited about the
travel industry and the brightfuture we have overall.
But obviously, these types ofconversations to better
understand how, you know, one,you can protect and make a

(01:07:08):
destination uh sustainable, butalso keep its core essence of
what makes it so special and someaningful and and make sure
that people who continue to cometo the Giants Causeway have have
that response to it, not the Icouldn't find a spot to park or
it was totally overwhelmed withuh with guests.
So to to finish on somepractical advice for all of our
listeners and do a quicklightning round.

(01:07:30):
I've got a few questions I wantto ask you, and then we'll uh
we'll close off and make sureeveryone can connect with you
and find out more information.
But the uh for you, Jennifer,when it comes to the Giants
Causeway, sunrise or sunset,what's your preferred time of
the day?

SPEAKER_03 (01:07:45):
I think I'm gonna have to go sunset at the Giants
Causeway.
Um I think that there is justsomething I've had the privilege
of doing a few uh filmingrecordings at sunset, and there
is it is always a special place,but there is just something

(01:08:06):
otherworldly, I have to say,about a sunset at the Giants
Causeway.

SPEAKER_01 (01:08:11):
Awesome.
Well, that changes that's Ithought you were gonna say
sunrise.
No, and and then but for me,obviously the sunset, so that
confirms why my and I'll planaccordingly.
Yes.
Um you you've mentioned so inthe second one, best local food
that visitors should try.
You've mentioned the the WhiskeyRocks experience, which
intrigues me.

(01:08:32):
But the what would be a localcuisine that people should try
to experience while they're inNorthern Ireland?

SPEAKER_03 (01:08:37):
Ooh.
Um I think there's nothing quitelike an ulster fry to set you up
for the day.
Um, and certainly that issomething that so when my
brothers come over, um, that isdefinitely something that they
need.
So potato bread, if you haven'ttried potato bread um in your

(01:08:58):
ulster fry, I think you needthat and it'll set you up for
the day to go out exploring.

SPEAKER_01 (01:09:03):
All right, perfect.
I'll add that to my list.
And then a favorite hidden gemin Northern Ireland.
I realize hidden gems aredifficult because once you share
them, they're not hiddenanymore, and they sometimes
cease to become gems.
But it seems like there are alot of hidden gems still to be
explored in Northern Ireland.
Um, what would be a standout,even if that is a walk everyone
should experience, or umobviously, even uh one of the

(01:09:26):
highlights you've alreadymentioned that is um a
must-experience from your pointof view?

SPEAKER_03 (01:09:33):
There truly are so many.
Um I think I'm going to go forone that I just recently
discovered myself.
Um, so it is a place calledGrey's Printing Press, which is
in Strabane, so just outsideDerry, London Dairy.

(01:09:54):
Um, and I had never been therebefore.
It is looked after by theNational Trust, but it is so
Strabane, I did not realise, wasonce a printing hub of the
Northwest.
And Grays is the last of therewere at one stage 10 printing
presses in Strabane, and Graysis the only one remaining.

(01:10:17):
Um, and it is you talk about ahidden gem, you would pass it
without knowing really it wasthere.
Um a very modest stone building,and it is um it is going to be
one of our signatureexperiences.
Um, it's it's coming up shortly.
Um, it's one of the things I'mreally excited about for 2027,

(01:10:39):
and um it is sitting exactly asit was as a printing press, and
um it's we're we're going to beoffering guided experiences
there where you can actually goand um have a go yourself at
printing.
It it really is spectacular.

SPEAKER_01 (01:10:58):
Oh, that's fantastic.
All right, that's um uh there'sthree things now.
So I know when I have to go, Iknow uh what I need to eat, and
obviously I need to experiencethis printing press.
That sounds like a really coolexperience.
Um and then last question forsomeone who is leaving the
Giants Causeway after having hadthis spectacular experience,
what is it you hope theyremember?

(01:11:19):
Maybe not even just about thelandmark itself, but about
Northern Ireland?
What is something that you'rehoping?
And clearly you mentioned justhow welcoming people are in
Ireland, and I think that'ssomething that you know uh many
people uh certainly leave with,just how wonderful, welcoming,
warm, uh, and friendly peopleare.
Um, but what would be your uhhope is the takeaway from

(01:11:39):
someone leaving the GiantsCauseway in Northern Ireland?

SPEAKER_03 (01:11:42):
Um I think probably just how um how untouched so
much of it is and how specialthat is and that it shouldn't it
shouldn't change.
Um there's beautiful unexpectedbeaches that are off the beaten

(01:12:02):
track and um and I hope thatthey stay that way.
Um like I say with the GiantsCauseway we want to keep it as
natural as possible.
Um we want you know it it hasbeen that way for for 60 million
years, the columns themselves.
There's something really um Ihope that people leave and they

(01:12:25):
realize how precious that is.
Um and just that being mindfulthat you do leave no trace, that
you are respectful, um, that youdo take the sustainable travel
options and that I suppose justyeah, that it's it's it's a

(01:12:46):
place of of wild and preciousbeauty um and just that respect.
And I know people people havethat.
Um we we have very, you know, wehave we do litter picks of the
site every morning before weopen, and I'm pleased to say
that littering is, you know,people do respect the site.

(01:13:07):
Um and I hope that that is thatis what they come away with,
that they want and that they'rehappy that they've helped look
after it, um, because it is soprecious and it is um it is we
we want to keep it that way.

SPEAKER_01 (01:13:22):
Well, clearly, obviously that's um the desired
outcome.
Many people now are going to beintrigued about arriving in the
first place.
So let's make sure that all ofour listeners know where to find
out more information about theGiants Causeway National Trust
and from a consumer and traveltrade point of view, um, what
directions would you point themin to get more information to
plan their trip or to plan tripsfor their clients?

SPEAKER_03 (01:13:45):
Yeah.
So um for individual visitors,um our booking is on our via our
website, which is umwww.nationaltrust.org.uk forward
slash Giants Causeway.
Um for group visits, um, we havea dedicated booking office um

(01:14:05):
based at the Giants Causeway andum we handle all group visits
for the Giants Causeway andCaraca Reed Rootbridge from
there.
And um the best thing to do isto email that booking office,
which is Northcoastbookings atnationaltrust.org.uk.
And um, if anyone is lookingadvice or um help, I am I would

(01:14:30):
be delighted to help you planitineraries, even if it's
something a practical questionabout visiting Northern Ireland
that isn't anything to do withthe National Trust place, I
would be more than happy tohelp.
Um, and um my email isjennifer.micha at
nationaltrust.org.uk.

SPEAKER_01 (01:14:50):
Fantastic.
Well, thank you so much forjoining us, Jennifer.
It was a real pleasure to meetyou.
Hope you have a great summer uhand a beautiful summer in
Northern Ireland and manage allthose guests and make sure
everyone continues to have someincredible experiences.
And I'll look forward to seeingyou later this year or sometime
next for sure.

SPEAKER_03 (01:15:05):
Yes, that's what I was gonna say.
We need to, that needs to be thenext thing is that we plan your
itinerary.

SPEAKER_01 (01:15:12):
I can't wait.
I will gladly share lots ofimages on all the social
channels and uh yeah, I reallylook forward to it.
But yes, thank you again.

SPEAKER_03 (01:15:18):
Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_01 (01:15:20):
And thanks to all of our listeners for joining us for
this fantastic conversation onthe future of indestination
experiences and what we'reseeing for summer 2026.
I hope you enjoyed theconversations uh with Fever as
we kicked off this series, um,and then with Tripworks and
today with Jennifer from theGiants Causeway.
And I just want to say a specialthank you again to Purneau

(01:15:42):
Ricard for kindly sponsoring inthis series.
And I think I definitely need toadd the Whiskey in the Rocks
experience with Bush Mills to mynext trip.
So thanks uh to Laura and theteam over at Purneau Ricard.
If you would like to get to getmore information about Pernot
Ricard brand homes and howthey're shaping the future of
experiential hospitality andengaging travelers, you can
check out Purneau-Ricard.com tosee their global portfolio of

(01:16:04):
experiences.
And I just wanted to say thanksto all of our listeners for
joining us on this three-partseries.
I hope you really benefited fromthis.
And we are now running a seasoneight survey because we have one
final episode coming next week.
We have the creator and producerof the amazing race.
I cannot wait to bring you thatconversation with Elise next
week to wrap up season seven ofthe Travel Trends Podcast.

(01:16:26):
But in the meantime, you can goto traveltrendspodcast.com and
click at the link at the top tofill out our survey anytime in
July.
We're giving away a$500 giftcertificate with Airbnb and five
gift packs from our TravelTrends team as well, including
our cool new portable charger.
So there's a number of reasonswhy you should uh take five
minutes and give us yourfeedback.

(01:16:47):
Prizing is one, but ultimatelyhelping us produce the best
possible content that will havethe most benefit for each of our
listeners is exactly what we'retrying to achieve.
So please take a few minutes,give us your feedback, and we'll
provide you more details onseason eight, all the themes,
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(01:17:09):
TravelTrends Podcast.
Thanks again for joining us.
Thanks again to Jennifer.
And until next week, safetravels.