‘District’s potential being realised under Council tourism strategy’ – Councillor Byrne

SDLP Slieve Gullion Councillor Pete Byrne has said that Newry Mourne and Down District Council’s plans to develop the region into a premier tourism destination are finally being realised after the Enterprise, Regeneration and Tourism (ERT) Committee agreed its Tourism Marketing Plan at this month’s meeting.

Speaking to Newry Times, Byrne said, “At this month’s ERT Committee meeting Councillors endorsed the Council’s Tourism Marketing Plan, which will help promote what this region has to offer over the course of the next year.

“We were also treated to a promotional video developed as part of our ‘Heaven in a Heartbeat’ campaign, which will focus on how people will feel when they visit our part of the world with the Republic of Ireland, Great Britain and Europe being specifically targeted for potential visitors.

“The Tourism Strategy was developed in partnership with local tourism and hospitality businesses in order to give any visitor an authentic look at what our region has to offer. The marketing campaign will highlight what is unique about our district including our beautiful mountains and the stories we have to tell.

“The work by Council over the last year in developing a strategy combined with this campaign shows that we are serious about realising our tourism potential. Our Council has shown real leadership and forward planning in the development of this strategy recognising that tourism can drive economic growth and job creation,” he continued.

“Not only have we managed to support this ambitious campaign, we have also increased funding for events like Slieve Gullion’s Footsteps in the Forest and the Guardians of the Mournes Festival on last year’s budget allocation.

“This included doubling the funding pot available to community organised festivals.

Councillor Byrne added, “While our aim was to provide an equitable split of the tourism funding pot to ensure fairness, it does, however, provide an opportunity for community organisations to grow their festivals and contribute in a positive way to our tourism product, creating a real sense of ownership in attracting visitors into our communities from across the world.”

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Posted by Newry Times News on Mar 23 2018. Filed under Community, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry