Ballymena business The Pretty Useful Map Company has successfully launched the first of four themed map guides aimed at the lucrative Dublin visitor market.

The company's success follows the recruitment of a dedicated Sales and Marketing Manager supported by Invest Northern Ireland.

The Pretty Useful Map Company produces unique and beautifully illustrated tourist maps showcasing key visitor destinations across Great Britain and Ireland. Co-owners Hilary Redmond and Heidi McAplin established their business last year and are keen to capitalise on opportunities beyond Northern Ireland.

Hilary Redmond said: "Our objective is to build the business to become an internationally recognisable brand and a respected reference point which travellers will refer to when seeking a tourist map."

The company generates revenue through the sale of advertising space around the border and the back of the map. QR code/smartphone technology is used to link the guide to banks of information hosted on The Pretty Useful Map Company’s website or partner organisations' apps or websites.

Congratulating The Pretty Useful Map Company on their success, Gren Armstrong, Invest NI’s North Eastern Regional Manager, said: "This specialised business has set itself ambitious sales targets, and successfully identifying this gap in the Republic of Ireland tourism market will help the firm achieve its objective. Investment in staff and export marketing activities will further enhance the capability of the Pretty Useful Map Company going forward."

(CD)