World Heritage UK 2026 Annual Conference

Save the date!

Dates: Monday 05th & Tuesday 06th October 2026

Venue: Portrush Town Hall, Portrush, Northern Ireland

Theme: Connections through World Heritage

Programme: details to come…

Travel:

There are flights to Belfast International (BFS) and George Best Belfast City (BHD) airports from London (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted), Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Bristol, Leeds Bradford, Exeter, Southampton, Inverness and Aberdeen. Airlines include easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair, British Airways and Loganair. Book early!

If you wish to go by sea, Stena Line operate ferries to Belfast from Cairnryan and Liverpool (Birkenhead), and P&O Irish Sea operates between Cairnryan and Larne.

Travel from Belfast to Portrush:

Grab a bus (# 300) from the International Airport to Belfast City Europa Bus Centre (~25 mins); then walk to Yorkgate (~10 mins) and take the train to Portrush (~90 mins); no need to prebook trains as prices don’t change. Try the Rome2Rio app for help.

Accommodation: 

Prices as of November/December 2025 and based on single occupancy with breakfast; delegates are recommended to book their room early.

Elephant Rock Hotel – Boutique Hotel, Portrush (can only accommodate Sunday 4^th October)

1x ambulant twin room £99 B&B (please note this is an accessible room, it is on the ground floor beside reception with an internal window that looks into the atrium, this room also has a wet room style bathroom suitable for wheelchair users);

3x single rooms £135.90 B&B per room; 3x classic double rooms £160.20 B&B per room; 1x classic double/twin rooms £169.20 B&B; 1x classic triple £217.80 B&B (3x occupancy);

3x superior double/twin rooms £193.50 B&B per room (please note only two of these can be configured as a twin); 2x executive sea view double rooms £216 B&B per room;

4x executive sea view double/twin rooms £229.50 B&B per room

Quote “World Heritage Conference” when booking

The Marcus Portrush, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

40 x Rooms; £150 pp/per night with breakfast

Quote “UNESCO26” when booking; guests should call Lauren Fleming on 02870531233 > Option 1 > Option 2 Monday- Friday 9am-5pm or email Lauren at [email protected]

Portrush Atlantic Hotel | Causeway Coast | Northern Ireland

Sunday 4^th October £272 (B&B Single Occupancy); Monday 5^th October £183; 15% discount on these prices (B&B Single Occupancy)

Promo code is WORLD26; booking links: Atlantic: Portrush Atlantic – World Heritage Delegate Rate

Portrush Adelphi | Boutique Golf Hotel in Portrush, Northern Ireland

Sunday 4^th October £347 (B&B Single Occupancy); Monday 5^th October £347 (B&B Single Occupancy); promo code is WORLD26

Booking links: Adelphi: https://marineandlawn.com/portrushadelphi/#/booking/step-1?promo=WORLD26&adults=2&arrive=10.10.2026

Royal Court Hotel Portrush (out of town- transport would be required to get to the conference venue, dinner and meeting points each day)

3x Premier (sea view) rooms £130 per night; 9x Deluxe (non-sea view) rooms £105.00 per night; quote “World Heritage Conference” when booking

Link to Accommodation Guide for the Causeway Coast and Glens area – CCG Download – Accommodation Guide 2025.pdf

Places To Stay | Visit Causeway Coast & Glens

***Airbnb is also available in the town

Do Your Bit for the Environment – we invite attendees of the Annual Conference to support the Flow Country Partnership’s mission to restore the world’s only Peatland World Heritage Site – inscribed for being the world’s largest intact blanket peat bog. This vital ecosystem stores over 400 million tonnes of carbon, playing a crucial role in combating climate change. If you are travelling to the conference, please consider a donation to help facilitate future carbon sequestration. Your donations will directly aid in the restoration efforts, enhancing the peatland’s capacity to sequester carbon and support biodiversity. Please note, this initiative is not currently structured as a carbon offset programme; however, there is potential for it to evolve into one in the future, subject to interest from the World Heritage community and feasibility.  Your support today contributes to meaningful environmental impact and may pave the way for future carbon offset opportunities.

Click here to donate…thank you.