Northern Ireland tourist attraction named one of the UK’s top 30 must-do experiences

By Claire Cartmill
Published 26th Jun 2024, 10:24 BST
Updated 26th Jun 2024, 10:42 BST
The must-do activities that should be on the nation’s bucket list have been compiled by UK travel expert, Richard Madden, and Sykes Holiday CottagesThe must-do activities that should be on the nation’s bucket list have been compiled by UK travel expert, Richard Madden, and Sykes Holiday Cottages
The must-do activities that should be on the nation’s bucket list have been compiled by UK travel expert, Richard Madden, and Sykes Holiday Cottages
‘During my time as a travel writer, I’ve discovered that Northern Ireland is not short of unforgettable locations, historic landmarks, unique experiences, and impressive wildlife, and hopefully this new research will spark ideas for trips closer to home this year’

Visiting the Titanic Museum in Belfast has been named as one of the top must-do UK staycation experiences, according to research.

A world-leading attraction has been open to the public for over a decade, telling the story of the city’s maritime heritage, and attracted more than 800,000 visitors last year.

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The must-do activities that should be on the nation’s bucket list were compiled by Sykes Holiday Cottages and UK travel expert, Richard Madden, after research of 2,000 adults found 81% feel you don’t have to travel abroad to expand your horizons.

Visiting the Titanic Museum in Belfast has been named as one of the top must-do UK staycation experiences, according to researchVisiting the Titanic Museum in Belfast has been named as one of the top must-do UK staycation experiences, according to research
Visiting the Titanic Museum in Belfast has been named as one of the top must-do UK staycation experiences, according to research

Moreover, 78% of Brits are determined to explore more of the UK, with a quarter having a dedicated bucket list of UK experiences they want to tick off.

In Northern Ireland, over a third (36%) are still yet to explore interesting places within an hour’s drive of where they live, despite the average adult typically venturing as far as 216 miles from home to holiday somewhere else within the UK.

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Graham Donoghue, chief executive of Sykes Holiday Cottages, said: “There is so much on our doorstep when it comes to holidays and activities, and Belfast boasts a whole host of exciting things to see and do.

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Minack theatre cut from rock in a cliff at Porthcurno Penzance, Cornwall, which is one of the 'alternative' must-visit landmarksMinack theatre cut from rock in a cliff at Porthcurno Penzance, Cornwall, which is one of the 'alternative' must-visit landmarks
Minack theatre cut from rock in a cliff at Porthcurno Penzance, Cornwall, which is one of the 'alternative' must-visit landmarks

“Our research has shown that those in Northern Ireland have a strong desire to tick off a wide range of experiences during their staycations, including must-visit museums, natural phenomena, and popular nature spots.”

Money (50%), the unpredictable weather (35%), and work commitments (22%) were cited as the top three reasons as to why British travellers don’t explore the UK as often as they would like.

Additionally, of those who holiday in the UK, almost half (44%) do so because of the convenience of it, and a third (33%) consider it to be more affordable.

Documentaries and non-fiction TV series provide the most bucket list inspiration to travellers (37%), along with family (33%), friends (32%) and the films they watch (23%).

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Bletchley ParkBletchley Park
Bletchley Park

Award-winning travel writer and author, Richard Madden, added: “It’s great to see that travellers’ sense of adventure is just as strong while on a staycation as it is when abroad.

“During my time as a travel writer, I’ve discovered that Northern Ireland is not short of unforgettable locations, historic landmarks, unique experiences, and impressive wildlife, and hopefully this new research will spark ideas for trips closer to home this year.”

Sykes Holiday Cottages’ Graham Donoghue, which has created a guide on the UK’s top 30 experiences, added: “Some of the activities that have topped our bucket list might only be a stone’s throw away from where you live and with summer officially beginning, there is no better time to head out your door and explore.”

Top 30 UK experiences, compiled by experts, Brits would most like to try:

The northern lights captured through a wndow at Duntulm Castle in the north of SkyeThe northern lights captured through a wndow at Duntulm Castle in the north of Skye
The northern lights captured through a wndow at Duntulm Castle in the north of Skye
  1. Seeing the Northern Lights from the Isle of Skye, Scotland
  2. Visiting the Eden Project in Cornwall
  3. Visiting the Titanic Museum in Belfast, Northern Ireland
  4. Visiting Stonehenge in Wiltshire
  5. Driving along the Isle of Arran’s coast in Scotland
  6. Visiting Cheddar Gorge in Somerset
  7. Spend the day at Portmeirion Village in North Wales
  8. A round trip on The Jacobite Steam Train from Fort William to Mallaig
  9. Fossil hunting along the Jurassic Coast in Dorset
  10. Watch otters play in the Avalon Marches in Somerset
  11. Seal spotting at Blakeney Point, Norfolk
  12. Visiting Lindisfarne & the Farne Islands in Northumbria
  13. Hiring a canal boat along the Kennet and Avon canal (Reading to Bristol)
  14. Visiting Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes
  15. Visiting Brownsea Island in Dorset to spot its red squirrels
  16. Watching a play at the Minack Theatre in Cornwall
  17. Watching starling murmurations at the River Exe Estuary (Devon), in Dungeness (Kent), in Leighton Moss (Lancashire), or from Aberystwyth Pier (Ceredigion)
  18. Visiting Fountains Abbey a World Heritage site in Yorkshire
  19. Visiting Housesteads Fort on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland
  20. Visiting the Gower Peninsular in Glamorgan, Wales
  21. Riding the SteamLights at The Bluebell Railway in East Sussex
  22. Hiking up the Glastonbury Tor, a hill rising 518 feet, in Somerset
  23. Visiting the family home of Sir Winston Churchill in Kent
  24. Attending the Dark Skies Festival in February in Yorkshire
  25. Surfing in Newquay, Cornwall
  26. Visiting the burial site of Raedwald, King of East Anglia, at Sutton Hoo Ship Burial in Suffolk
  27. Visiting WWT Slimbridge, a wetland nature reserve, in Somerset
  28. Bird watching at St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve in Berwickshire, Scotland
  29. Cycling or walking The Ridgeway in Wiltshire/Buckinghamshire
  30. Watching the Cooper’s Hill annual Cheese Rolling contest in Gloucestershire
Related topics:Northern IrelandBelfastMoney

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