Sophie Clarke: A tale of two cities: Why Belfast can’t ignore Derry’s revival

One of the best subject lines you can see land in your inbox on a quiet day in the office often begins with two simple words: press trip.

It can mean anything. A week in Las Vegas, a spa retreat somewhere deep in the woods or a guided food tour in a city you haven’t visited recently.

On this occasion the it was the latter - a short trip to Derry to experience the city’s growing food and hospitality scene, including a stay at the Bishop’s Gate Hotel, a walking tour, a Derry By Fork foodie experience and dinner at the Walled City Brewery.

While I’ve written a full review of the trip, the upshot is that I came away genuinely impressed.

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I’ve always liked Derry but this visit gave me a fresh perspective on the place.

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What struck me most wasn’t just the food or the venues themselves but the people behind them. Everyone we met, chefs, tour guides, hospitality staff and business owners, spoke about the city with a real sense of passion and pride.

There was a clear effort to showcase what Derry has to offer. Restaurants championing local produce, guides telling the city’s story with enthusiasm and businesses clearly invested in the place they call home.

It feels like people have made a conscious decision to finally celebrate where they’re from without shying away from the city’s turbulent history.

And while I admired that spirit enormously, I couldn’t help making a comparison.

Because as I sat in a busy restaurant in the Walled City listening to locals talk proudly about their city, I found myself thinking about Belfast.

Belfast, after all, is our capital. It’s where cruise ships dock during the summer months and it remains the focal point for most visitors to our shores.

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For many people travelling to Northern Ireland, Belfast is their first impression of the place but I worry that it might not always be a good one.

Walk through parts of the city centre and the signs are difficult to ignore. Derelict buildings sit empty along major streets, shopfronts remain shuttered for months or even years and areas that should feelvibrant can sometimes look tired and neglected.

At the same time, many of Belfast’s independent bars and restaurants, the very places that give a city its character, are operating under increasing pressure as costs continue to rise.

None of this is new. Conversations about the decline of the city centre have been ongoing for years, andthere are efforts underway to bring life back into it, from the expansion of Ulster University’s campus to future projects such as Belfast Stories.

But regeneration isn’t just about major development, what Derry reminded me of is how powerful local pride can be.

That sense of ownership is infectious - cities don’t become vibrant by accident, they become vibrant because people care about them.

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My trip to Derry was meant to be a short press visit focused on food, instead it ended up being a reminder of something bigger.

And although it is a much smaller city and attracts far fewer tourists than Belfast, whatever they are doing, it’s working. While Belfast airports saw mixed results in passenger numbers during 2025, City of Derry Airport saw a huge 40% surge.

If Belfast could capture even a fraction of the pride and energy that exists in Derry right now it would be all the better for it.

Because who knows - the next time a journalist from Derry receives an email inviting them on a press trip to Belfast it would be wonderful if they came away with the same impression I have of their city - no wonder they are referring to it as Legenderry…

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