Belfast pilots smart city programme to attract tourists

Smart city technology allows locals and tourists to interact with local attractions

Spotted: Belfast is using smart technology to encourage people to learn more about local history and cultural attractions. The programme, Hello Maritime Mile, lets people “wake up” various attractions along the city’s historic riverfront. This involves sending a text message to a local number using a smartphone. Enter the name of the site — like Belfast’s iconic Big Fish — and the attraction responds via chat. Messages include fun facts about the area and some local history.

Hello Maritime Mile is part of a larger effort to encourage locals and tourists to interact with the city and move beyond Belfast’s traditional attractions. The technology was developed by UK-based Hello Lamp Post. Hello Maritime Mile will run until St. Patrick’s Day, 17th March 2019.