Belfast’s First Citizen was the first official visitor to the world-class experience since it closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak on 18th March 2020. At the sneak preview, he experienced Titanic Belfast’s one-way, self-guided themed tour throughout the galleries and SS Nomadic, which from the 1st – 31st August 2020 can be enjoyed for free by NHS workers as a thank you for their work during the pandemic.
Judith Owens, Chief Executive of Titanic Belfast commented, “We are absolutely delighted to open our doors again. Welcoming visitors, telling stories and creating experiences is what we do best. Now more than ever, we need the support of our city and Northern Ireland, and we’ve been working away behind the scenes to ensure that those who come to visit have a truly memorable Titanic experience. For us, home is where the heart is and this has never been more apparent. As one of Belfast’s iconic symbols, we are always keen to play our part and reflect the city’s spirit. While everyone in Northern Ireland has done their bit, our NHS staff, from emergency services to healthcare workers, were are on the front line dealing with the spread of coronavirus and this is our way of saying thank you to our local heroes for their hard work and bravery.”
Throughout the pandemic, Titanic Belfast was a symbol of Northern Ireland’s spirit and sported a colourful rainbow illumination at night as a display of positivity and hope and lit up blue for Clap for Carers as a gesture of its appreciation to the NHS.
The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alderman Frank McCoubrey commented, “Titanic Belfast is synonymous with Belfast, it is an inspiring testament to RMS Titanic and our city. As First citizen, it was a privilege to be its first official visitor and experience the enhancements it has made for locals this year. There is no doubt that discovering the world-famous story on our doorstep evokes a sense of civic pride and I would encourage locals to support the world-leading attraction by visiting this summer.”
In addition to its one-way, self-guided themed tour, visitors will be able to experience its award-winning outdoor Discovery Tour, Titanic Foundation’s Out of Stores Exhibition and its new Maritime Mile Treasure Trail, which will be launched in August.
Kerrie Sweeney, Chief Executive of Titanic Foundation Limited, the charity that owns the iconic building, explained “Together with Titanic Belfast, we wanted to offer more for our visitors. That’s why we have opened our archives for the ‘Out of Stores’ Exhibition in Titanic Belfast’s Andrews Gallery for those who want to learn more about the men who built the ship and will be launching our new Maritime Mile Treasure Trail so that local people and visitors can discover the history ingrained in this area whilst enjoying this expansive outdoor space in the heart of the city.”
Titanic Belfast is ‘We’re Good to Go’ registered and its Galley Café will be taking part in the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ Initiative. It will be accepting pre-bookings only and operating on a reduced capacity to allow for physical distancing. It has also implemented stringent protocol around hygiene, while staff will be practicing and encouraging physical distancing measures at all times. For those NHS frontline workers that would like to avail of the free admission must claim their ticket before their visit by phoning Titanic Belfast in advance.
