Cash deal for cross-border tourism routes welcomed

A MULTI-million euro package to develop closer links between the Wild Atlantic Way, which includes Donegal, and the Causeway Coastal Route have been welcomed by cross-border tourism bosses.

Taoiseach Simon Harris said the government was allocating €7.6m (£6.4m) to the cross-border scheme.

The money, which was announced on Monday, will foster a closer branding link between the Wild Atlantic Way and the Causeway Coastal Route, home of the Giant’s Causeway, in Northern Ireland.

The 2,500 km (1,553 mile) Wild Atlantic Way is a tourism brand which currently stretches from Kinsale, County Cork, to the Inishowen Peninsula, County Donegal, in the Republic of Ireland.

The route was launched in 2014 and is credited with helping boost tourism in the west of the country.

Mr Harris said linking the two routes could help boost economic tourism and visitor numbers, especially in the north west.

“This will undoubtedly create more opportunities for tourists from both home and abroad to experience all that Derry and the amazing north west and northern coast regions have to offer, and I look forward to seeing the outputs of this impactful project,” he said.

Fáilte Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way manager Joan Crawford said the government money would allow for the “cementing of relationships” between the two routes.

“Visitors do not see borders, we need to be mindful of that,” she said.

She said tourism bodies would now be able “to enhance interpretation at existing visitor attractions, so that we can push the visitor along the route, so they know there is more to see and do”, she said.

Work has already started on upgrading the Causeway route’s signage and on the development of discovery points, or main tourist attractions, on the route.

Ciaran Doherty of Tourism NI said visitors will greatly benefit.

Mr Doherty said the funding would allow the Causeway Coastal Route to reach another level of visitor experience

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