€3bn-a-year Wild Atlantic Way should be extended into Derry and North Coast, says MLA

Transcript

00:00 Last week, a report by Fulcher Ireland concluded that the Wild Atlantic Way had an economic

00:05 impact worth €3 billion per year in tourism revenue to communities along the west coast

00:10 of Ireland and has led to the creation of an additional 35,000 jobs and supporting 80,000

00:16 jobs in total. That is some positive impact for those communities.

00:21 The marketing of the Wild Atlantic Way stretches 2,500 kilometres from Kilmseal in County Cork

00:27 up to Donegal, and there it stops on the Donegal to Derry border.

00:32 The Atlantic Ocean does not stop at Donegal, so I have to ask why should the Wild Atlantic

00:38 Way? All promotional material which is used to attract visitors in international markets

00:43 are designed and delivered by Tourism Ireland. The island is marketed as a whole to an international

00:48 audience, so in my view it makes perfect sense that major regional tourism experiences such

00:53 as the Wild Atlantic Way should also reflect this by being cross-border in nature.

00:58 There is a clear rationale for doing so, and it would undoubtedly help the north develop

01:02 further the economic potential of its tourism. Why should we in the north miss such an opportunity

01:08 as extending the Wild Atlantic Way from Donegal through Derry, the north coast, along the

01:12 glens of Antrim to Belfast? The case for expanding the Wild Atlantic Way to incorporating the

01:17 Causeway Coast and Glens Coastal Route is compelling. With the likes of Dunluce Castle,

01:24 the Carragheride Rope Bridge and the Giants Causeway, why should the local communities

01:28 of Ballantoy, Ballycastle, Bushmills and my constituency not benefit from the boost that

01:33 being marketed as part of the Wild Atlantic Way would bring, increasing visitor numbers

01:39 and spend in the local economy, benefiting hospitality and tourism businesses? Are the

01:44 cafes, restaurants, pubs and tourist attractions in the likes of Cushendal, Cushendon and Glen

01:49 Arath? This Falshire Ireland report is a timely reminder of the successful impact tourism

01:54 can have in terms of job creation for the local and wider economy, creating opportunities

02:00 for people and communities to prosper and thrive. Extending the Wild Atlantic Way into

02:05 the north is one such opportunity.