Rachael McGuickin

Representative

Rachael McGuickin

Visit Belfast Representative

Contact Information

Address: 9 Donegall Square North Belfast BT1 5GB
Region: Northern Ireland
www.meetbelfast.com

Experience, Role & Skills Area

I have 15 years’ international sales and marketing experience working in tourism, economic development and international education which includes 10 years’ experience focussed on business events. Visit Belfast has led transformational growth in business events for Belfast and NI (+260%) as the destination marketing and management organisation for the Belfast city region. It is also a long standing supporter and active member of ABPCO. I am a member of the Belfast Resilience and Sustainability Board, One Young World 2023 Advisory Board, Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance - Business Tourism Working Group, Northern Ireland MICE Tourism Recovery group and Chair of the Belfast Business Development Taskforce.

Member Profile

Rachael is responsible for promoting Belfast internationally as a leading destination for business events, cruise and group travel within Visit Belfast; the city's official destination marketing and management organisation. She is a member of the Belfast Resilience and Sustainability Board, Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance Business Tourism Working Group, Tourism Recovery MICE Recovery Group and Chair of Belfast's Business Development Taskforce.

As a public-private partnership, Visit Belfast represents over 500 tourism businesses dedicated to promoting Belfast as a leading destination in key markets. It's core purpose is to create and service visitors to generate an economic benefit for the city region, creating jobs and prosperity for citizens and communities. She leads an award-winning team at Visit Belfast, responsible for attracting business events to the city that showcase Belfast as a great place to visit, work, study, do business and invest.

Having joined Belfast’s resilience and sustainability board, Rachael is now responsible for the development of an ambitious sustainable Belfast tourism action plan for Visit Belfast This will support Belfast’s commitment to build back better; informing the city’s vision for sustainable tourism and the future 10 year action plan for tourism in the city region. The end goal is for Belfast become a more regenerative, flourishing and resilient place to visit, meet, do business and live.

Rachael has over 15 years international sales and marketing experience across business events and tourism, economic development and international education. Previous roles include Head of International Office at Queen's University where she lead the University's international recruitment strategy. This included developing its international office network in China (Guangzhou and Beijing) Middle East and Africa (Dubai and Jordan), North America, South East Asia and India. Rachael has also headed up the marketing and communications team at the cross-border economic development body InterTradeIreland.