A meeting between Derry Sinn Councillor Mickey Cooper the Tourist Board and VisitWestBelfast group is aimed at the Bogside, Creggan and Bishop Street/Fountain areas of the city receiving proper levels of tourism promotion.
Cllr Mickey Cooper.
Cllr Cooper, TRIAX community tourism co-ordinator, revealed the meeting was to take place at the end of this month and the above areas would also receive practical assistance for the development of further tourism based projects
Cllr Cooper said: “The TRIAX community tourism group have been working on a voluntary basis to develop tourism infrastructure and promotional materials for the Bogside, Creggan and Fountain/Bishop Street areas to ensure the economic potential of tourism is harnessed in the area in a way that also benefits the local community.
“This has seen the development of new coach parking facilities, tourism signage, new street paving and the further development of the Museum of Free Derry, Aras Colmcille, the Gasyard Heritage Centre and tour guide training for republican ex-prisoners and their families, Apprentice Boys and Fountain residents.
“Although some of this work was supported by Derry City Council, we were always disadvantaged by the fact that the Tourist Board were not involved in this process which always meant the area was never properly promoted on an international basis.”
Cllr Cooper welcomed the fact the Tourist Board had agreed to meet me at the end of the month to explore how they could become integrated into the work of the TRIAX tourism group.
He said he was “especially pleased” VisitWestBelfast, the community tourism group promoting the Falls and Shankill areas. had agreed to offer their own insights and knowledge to ensure the TRIAX community tourism strategy could develop to the same levels of success as the VisitWestBelfast model.
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