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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
Lifestyle
Sophie McLaughlin

Watch as Northern Ireland Tourist Board chief struggles to sell Belfast as destination back in 1974

It is hard to think of a time when Belfast was not hiving with tourists who have travelled far and wide to take in our fascinating history and culture.

But on this day 48 years ago, then Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Tourism Board Robert Hall was trying his best to make the city that bit more appealing.

Probably a more difficult job than it is today, a clip of the tourism boss posted by BBC Archive shows him struggling to sell Belfast as a place to visit during the height of The Troubles.

Read more: Transformed green space opens on Dublin Road bringing 'vibrancy' to area

In the report on tourism in Ulster from July 10 1974, Bill Kerr-Elliot asks Hall why they should come to Belfast - and if we are honest, it sounds like he's saying they shouldn't!

He said: "Well I think it’s an interesting place if you want some excitement but quite frankly, one cannot in all honesty say that it’s a very attractive place for obvious reasons - look at all the jeeps and the army skulling around the place, look at all the bomb damage.

"There's a great deal of damage and destruction around and it's not really, I'm afraid to say, a great tourist centre at the moment."

Watch the full BBC Archive clip below...

When asked if it was safe to come to Northern Ireland, Robert adds that its a matter of "personal decision" and ensures that Belfast is probably safer than New York City.

He continues: "One must make their own minds up. We cannot guarantee the safety of anybody any more than the Israeli tourist board can guarantee you won't stand on a landmine.

"Or the United States tourist board can't guarantee you won't get murdered or mugged in New York."

If you would like to watch the full report on Ulster Tourism in 1974, you can watch it here at BBC Rewind

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