Titanic Museum Belfast retells the tragedy with an immersive experience for visitors | Tourism and travel

Al Jazeera Net correspondents

Belfast – In the heart of the city where the famous Titanic was built, the Titanic Belfast Museum in the capital of Northern Ireland stands as a witness to a moment of dream and industry that turned into one of the most famous maritime tragedies in modern history.

While the museum tells the story of the ship that was said to be “unsinkable,” today it is writing a new chapter of success, after winning a prestigious international award in recognition of its distinctive interactive experience.

From drowning to the prize

Recently, the Titanic Belfast Museum won the Thematic Entertainment Association (THEA) Global Award of Excellence, in the category “Redesigning the Visitor Experience on a Limited Budget”, which represents the most prominent creators, designers and developers in the entertainment and tourism industry around the world.

The museum, which opened in 2012, is the first entity in the award’s 30-year history to win the same experience twice, the first time in 2014, and the second time this year, after a comprehensive modernization of the museum, which was evident in the launch of 4 new galleries and a unique archaeological collection, as part of a development project that cost 4.7 million pounds sterling.

Interactive experience

As soon as the visitor enters the museum, he begins a journey in which all his senses are involved. You move from the shipyards in Belfast in 1912, to the first-class rooms on board the Titanic, and then to the scenes of the tragic sinking that changed the face of the maritime industry.

With its design that resembles the prow of a ship, the museum allows the visitor to interact with minute details of the lives of the passengers, with an audio-visual display that simulates the last moments of the voyage.

Global recognition

Commenting on the museum’s winning of the international award, Judith Owens, CEO of the museum, said, “We are very happy with this second international honor, especially since the award comes after the launch of the new reimagined Titanic experience, which is considered the most exciting and wonderful since the museum’s opening.”

She added: “Since opening our doors in 2012, we are proud that Titanic Belfast (Museum) continues to attract visitors from all over the world to Northern Ireland, and this award confirms our position on the global stage.”

On the other hand, Chair of the Northern Ireland Tourism Authority, Elvina Graham, says that this award “reflects the amount of work and dedication to providing an exceptional tourism experience.”

An unsinkable narrative

Despite the tragic nature of the Titanic story, the museum in Belfast not only commemorates the sunken ship, but also celebrates the industrial, architectural and human legacy it represents.

Between the museum’s galleries, the visitor sees how the Titanic tragedy turned into an incentive for developing maritime safety standards, and into an emotional story that still arouses the admiration and curiosity of millions more than a century after it happened.