Simon

Judith, award winning Judith Owens, congratulations on the Outstanding Contribution to the Industry award today. Did that surprise you?

Judith

Yes, it did surprise me. I am absolutely delighted, but it is quite hard when you hear people say nice things about you because we did not set out to do it for that reason. It is really lovely. You have met my team, I have an amazing team back at Titanic Belfast and we all have the same ethos, which is about driving the business but also driving the industry forward as well.

Simon

You are right, you do have an amazing team and so many of them. They also have an inspiring leader. I think it stems from the top and it has been fantastic to see what has happened there. It is very deserving of the award, congratulations.

Talking about Titanic Belfast, it has become so iconic within the industry and within Belfast. It has become a real hub there. What do you think has been the route to that success?

Judith

Titanic Belfast came at the right time. The project followed the Good Friday Agreement and was intended to kickstart international tourism in Northern Ireland. For one of the first times we had a really positive message and everybody got behind that. The whole community supported it and became brilliant ambassadors for Titanic Belfast and Northern Ireland.

When we opened in 2012 we restored a little bit of civic pride in Belfast. That is because we have been marketing Belfast and Titanic Belfast across the globe. We took one of the biggest brands in the world and connected it back to Belfast. It has been an absolute collaboration with local communities, ourselves and the wider industry and thankfully it has been successful.

Simon

You had everybody buying into it, from the community all the way through to driving tourism in the sector. Many people we have spoken to say the last year has been quite tough and there has been a lot of uncertainty across the industry. You have not seen that quite as much yourselves.

Judith

We have not in terms of revenues coming in. We are very fortunate, although we work very hard to deliver that performance. This year we will see our highest visitor numbers since we opened in 2012, which is incredible.

However, last year we added one million pounds to our payroll because of National Insurance and the National Living Wage. That is difficult to sustain. This year another six hundred thousand pounds has gone onto payroll, so that is one point six million pounds in a two year period.

On top of that we have an ageing building. I know people with heritage products laugh when I say that because she is only fifteen years old, but we are starting to replace pieces of infrastructure. Our capital expenditure is over three million pounds this year as well.

So while we are getting the revenues and driving the business, the cost of doing business is difficult. I really feel for the smaller businesses across the sector.

Simon

You mentioned international tourism. Since Covid that was heavily impacted and international markets really fell away. Are you now seeing those markets return strongly into Belfast and Northern Ireland?

Judith

Before Covid we were ninety percent international visitors, so it was extremely difficult when we reopened because we relied on close to home markets. The GB market sustained our business in those early years after Covid.

Over the last couple of years we have seen international markets return. Europe came back strongly last year, particularly Germany, which had historically been a difficult market for us.

Now we are seeing strong growth from Canada and North America, particularly Canada, and also Australia. Canada is interesting because many Canadians are choosing not to travel to the United States at the moment and are selecting other destinations instead. Thankfully Ireland is one of those destinations.

We are in a great position because we are part of Ireland geographically and also part of the UK, so visitors can enter through UK ports of entry or through Ireland. That gives us a lot of opportunity for growth.

Simon

When you identify new markets like that, do you proactively go out to those markets?

Judith

Yes, we work closely with VisitBritain, Tourism Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland. There are campaigns and sales missions to these countries and we support those with our own efforts.

For example I will be travelling to Canada on the anniversary of Titanic’s sinking. In Halifax there are more than one hundred and twenty Titanic victims buried there. I have never been before and I am hoping to bring an artefact to Halifax and talk about the connection between the two cities that were so deeply impacted by the sinking.

Simon

That must be an incredibly emotional connection for people.

Judith

It is, and we do it for the right reasons. Of course it also generates profile for us and that is important because it keeps the Titanic story visible, which is ultimately why Titanic Belfast exists.

Simon

The experience itself is fantastic and the storytelling throughout the attraction is incredibly powerful. That storytelling and connection with communities must be a big part of what you do.

Judith

It is. We are very fortunate that descendants of the shipbuilders and guarantee group are still in Belfast. The guarantee group were engineers who travelled on the maiden voyage to ensure the ship ran correctly. Sadly they went down with Titanic.

Their descendants are still here in Belfast and we work closely with them. One of them, Deirdre, works closely with us and often comes in to give talks. She is also part of the exhibition because if it is someone’s story it is important that we allow them to help us tell it.

Simon

Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, what opportunities do you see to build on the success you have had?

Judith

We set aside investment every year that is ringfenced for future development. That means in two or three years we will have something very exciting to invest in within the galleries and we are planning towards delivering that by 2030.

This is important because Belfast and Northern Ireland are seeing major developments through the City Deal. Several new attractions will open and we want to ensure we continue to evolve our stories and messaging so we remain relevant.

Titanic Belfast also sits within Titanic Quarter, one of the largest waterfront regeneration projects in Europe. A residential community of around four thousand people is now being developed around us. The first residents move into apartments opposite us within the next few weeks.

So we now have the challenge of integrating a new residential community into an area we have largely controlled for the last decade. There are challenges but also lots of opportunities.

Simon

New attractions can sometimes feel like competition but they can also drive more visitors into a destination overall.

Judith

Exactly. We work hard to make sure Titanic Belfast remains one of the hero attractions in Belfast. That helps bring visitors into the destination.

At the same time we work closely with smaller experiences and attractions across the destination because a thriving ecosystem benefits everyone. The goal is always to ensure the entire destination succeeds.

Simon

Finally, is there anything you would say to others in the sector about how they can continue to drive their organisations forward?

Judith

One of the biggest challenges for us is people. Building strong teams is essential. It is important to listen to what kind of organisation people want to work in.

We are very focused on growing our business and bringing visitors into Northern Ireland, but we cannot do that without the people who work in the organisation.

There are many industries competing for talent and we do not want to lose people from our sector. So building a strong team culture, attracting the right people and retaining them is absolutely critical.

Simon

Brilliant. Thank you very much for your time and congratulations again.

Judith

Thank you so much.