§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have to support the tourism industry in Strabane District Council area. [HL4450]
§ Baroness AmosGovernment departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies make available a range of programmes aimed at supporting tourism development throughout Northern Ireland, including the Strabane District Council area. Areas eligible for support include accommodation development, amenity and visitor attractions, marketing programmes and events.
For example, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) has identified activity tourism as a winning theme. The NITB will work proactively with its partners in the Strabane District Council area to provide appropriate support for the development of the area's activity tourism product, eg angling, cycling, walking, golf and equestrian pursuits.
One specific initiative which applies to Strabane District Council is the natural resource and rural tourism initiative (NRRTI). Jointly developed by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of the Environment and the NITB, the initiative is aimed at developing tourism in selected rural areas throughout Northern Ireland. Some £3.2 million of the NRRTI funding has been made available during the period 2002–06 to promote and assist the development of sustainable projects which will increase the tourism potential in the Sperrins. This area incorporates the whole of Strabane as well as parts of Omagh, Cookstown and Magherafelt District Council areas.
§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether any of the departments in Northern Ireland are European Fund implementing bodies for "Sustainable Tourism Developments on Cultural Resources" and, if so, which; what allocations have been made; and for what purposes.[HL4496]
§ Baroness AmosThe Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is the implementing body for the PEACE II economic renewal measure for sustainable tourism development based on shared natural and cultural resources. This is being delivered through the natural resource rural tourism initiative (NRRTI).
93WAThe NRRTI offers assistance to tourism-related project promoters within five disadvantaged rural areas of Northern Ireland which are also designated or proposed as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Assistance focuses on the development and enhancement of natural and cultural resources which may have suffered as a result of conflict and which can benefit from the opportunities now available from peace.
The initiative is valued at £15 million overall and is delivered by five local partnership bodies. Each partnership is responsible for drawing up, delivering and monitoring a sustainable tourism strategy.
The allocations are as follows:
Funding Allocation Target Area Partnership £ The Sperrins Sperrins Tourism Ltd 3,405,385 Causeway Coast and Glens Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust 3.086,528 South Armagh South Armagh Tourism Initiative 2,985,748 The Mournes Mournes Heritage Trust 2,923,853 Fermanagh Fermanagh Local Strategy Partnership 3,311,486 It is not possible to split the funding allocation between cultural and natural elements at this stage.