image source, Getty Images
- author, john campbell
- role, BBC News NI Economics and Business Editor
Stormont Economy Minister Conor Murphy said the Wild Atlantic Way could be extended into Northern Ireland.
The 2,500 km (1,553 mile) coastal route is currently a tourism brand that stretches from Kinsale in County Cork to the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland.
The route was launched in 2014 and is credited with helping to boost tourism in the western part of the country.
Mr Murphy said he wanted to start discussions about the use of the line and other Failte Ireland brands in Northern Ireland.
Tourism promotion on the island of Ireland is divided into three bodies.
Fáilte Ireland promotes the Republic of Ireland, Tourism NI promotes Northern Ireland and Tourism Ireland jointly promote the whole island to international visitors.
As a Fáilte Ireland initiative, the Wild Atlantic Way does not currently include Northern Ireland on its route.
Fáilte Ireland is considered a highly successful brand, with recent analysis estimating that it generates around €3bn (£2.58bn) a year in revenue for communities along the route.
Mr Murphy, whose responsibilities as Minister for Tourism include tourism, said he would “transform the wild Atlantic Way into the Causeway coastal route, the hidden heartland into Fermanagh and places such as Downpatrick and Armagh into Ireland’s ancient east”. He said he hoped that the discussion would include “incorporating the country.”
The possibility of extending the Wild Atlantic Way has been floated in the past, but until now there have been no serious proposals.
Discussions will need to consider how this move will impact on Northern Ireland’s existing tourism brand and take into account the potential costs.
