Traders in Newcastle have complained that the Northern Ireland Tourist Board is not promoting their area enough as a holiday destination.

They said the Mournes are losing out to the north Antrim coast and Belfast's Titanic quarter in this year's 'Our Time Our Place' campaign.

Café owner Michael Nugent said he understood the northern focus but the Mournes area was a "gem".

He said: "I do appreciate the golf was on in Portrush and there's the Titanic Centre and the Giant's Causeway visitor centre, but we've got an absolute gem on our doorstep here in the mountains of Mourne."

Aine Kearney of NITB responded by saying the board had invested £3m in the Newcastle and Mournes area in the last year and a half.

She said: "Newcastle and the surrounding area features extensively within our campaigns and s profiled quite heavily across all our media platforms."

A new mountain bike trail in the seaside town will be used at next year's World Police and Fire Games.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Sammy Wilson met with Newcastle traders to discuss business rates.

He said: "While the downturn has impacted on all sectors, some have fared better than others and I know that small businesses in particular are struggling. The Executive has recognised the difficulty that businesses have endured and have agreed that rates should be held at the rate of inflation, through to the 2014/15 rating year, providing certainty and stability for ratepayers in terms of financial planning."

(NE)