Booze Boosts Derry Tourism's 'Vision'

As a new 'vision' for the future of tourism in the 'Maiden City' is launched, it has been revealed that more prosaic cross-border visitors are already boosting the local economy - shoppers from the Irish Republic buying booze.

NI Tourism Minister, Arlene Foster, revealed Londonderry's Tourism Development Strategy and Action Plan today.

She said that it sets out the tourism vision for Derry City and the wider region, over the next three years.

"It aims to increase the tourism economy and seeks to enhance the tourism product on offer, while investing in new infrastructure and realising the full potential of the region's unique historic and cultural assets," she said.

"It can make an important regional contribution to the Stormont Programme for Government's tourism targets, including increasing visitor numbers by 25% and visitor spend by 40%."

Commenting on the opportunities from the closer to home markets, Arlene Foster said: "Despite the wider economic climate, statistics for 2008 show that the number of holidaymakers from the Republic of Ireland is up by 26% compared to the same period in 2007.

"I am confident that we can build on this and encourage our 'closer to home' markets to explore more of Northern Ireland for themselves."

Her confidence is well placed, it seems, as the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) has just revealed alcohol sales fell by a huge 13% compared to the first quarter of last year.

The group said the figures confirmed fears that the major increase in cross-border shopping, combined with the economic downturn had exacerbated the waning industry over the past few years.

DIGI Chairman Kieran Tobin said the fall in alcohol sales was unprecedented and warned of jobs losses across the sector, particular in businesses located in the border region.

Mr Tobin said: "Cross-border shopping remains attractive even after the April UK budget because of the favourable Euro rate of exchange, lower UK VAT rate, lower UK alcohol excise levels and generally lower business and labour costs in Northern Ireland."

Meanwhile, as drinks' shoppers continue to 'pour' across the Border, the Derry Mayor, Councillor Gerard Diver, said the new tourism strategy has ambitious but achievable targets that will place tourism as a priority economic driver that will bring jobs and new opportunities for growth.

"Tourism is a key economic driver and is essential if we are to stimulate new opportunities for growth and development," he said.

See: Alcohol Sales Take "Unprecedented Decline"

(BMcC)