New pilot smart city tourism experience, Maritime Mile, launched in Belfast, Ireland

According to a recent release, Belfast’s Maritime Mile is coming to life thanks to a new Smart City activation, enabled by augmented reality technology. Previously silent landmarks like the “Big Fish” wake up to visitors and anyone with a mobile phone can strike up a conversation and hear what they have to say.

‘Hello Maritime Mile’ is a pilot smart city IoT project between Belfast City Council, Titanic Foundation, Tourism NI, Ulster University and Hello Lamp Post which will run for 6 weeks until St Patrick’s Day (17 March). The R & D (Research and Development) collaborative project aims to animate a tourist area in the city centre creating a ‘playable city experience’ for tourists and locals.

Starting at the Big Fish on Donegall Quay, people will be able to ‘chat’ with objects along the stretch which finishes at the HMS Caroline in Alexandra Dock including SS Nomadic, Titanic Belfast, Belfast Harbour and The Great Light. With an SMS enabled phone, they can say ‘Hello’ by sending a text to the particular landmark and have fun conversations with each object.

“Belfast City Council is delighted to take part in this exciting pilot project which aims to animate the Maritime Mile and engage both visitors and residents of the city to learn more about the notable landmarks that are located along the scenic riverside stretch,” said Lord Mayor, Councillor Deirdre Hargey. “It not only brings together our city partners and us to collaborate on the project but our teams within Council - Tourism, Culture & Arts; Smart Cities & City Innovation and Events, to work to enhance the visitor experience in Belfast by exploring how technology can contribute to this, while also progressing our Smart City agenda.”

“New technologies have transformed how visitors can engage with a destination and enable the tourism industry to look at creative and innovative ways to deliver experiences for our visitors which are authentic, compelling and memorable,” said Dave Vincent, Chief Digital Officer, Tourism NI. “Tourism-technology partnerships such as this one help the tourism industry in Northern Ireland to connect with new audiences and encourage visitors to explore beyond our most popular attractions to discover more about the area that surrounds them.”