Tourism Northern Ireland is delighted to provide funding for the UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship, which kicked off this week.
The major international youth tournament, which sees matches take place in Belfast, Coleraine and Larne, will showcase Europe’s top emerging female footballers.
Delivered by the Irish Football Association (IFA), the event is running across multiple venues over two weeks and features seven qualified nations competing alongside the hosts, Northern Ireland.
Teams play in two groups of four, with the top sides advancing to the semi-finals and the winners contesting the final at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park.
The finals will also act as the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA Women’s Under 17 World Cup in Morocco.
The UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship is one of 16 events set to receive funding through Tourism NI’s International Tourism Events Fund (ITEF).
The ITEF supports events that attract significantly high levels of visitors to Northern Ireland while also generating international media coverage, which helps to showcase the region as a must-see travel destination.
It is projected that the event will generate almost £2 million for the north’s economy by attracting an estimated 20,000 visitors, 15% of whom will be from out-of-state.
The visitors will result in 8,800 commercial bed nights – including hotels, B&B, guesthouse and self-catering – being booked across the region.
The event not only provides a significant opportunity to raise the profile of women’s and youth football, but also to promote Northern Ireland as a dynamic visitor destination.