Unlocking the stories and secrets of the Walled City of Derry is about to get easier with the launch of the new Visit Derry Pass. This integrated ticket will help visitors plan a break in Derry-Londonderry and enjoy access to multiple experiences within the compact walkable city. The Visit Derry Pass provides discounted entry to ten of the most-loved attractions and activities across the city.
The digital pass already operates in destinations including York, Edinburgh, Manchester and Glasgow and Visit Derry is delighted to the launch the first of its kind in Northern Ireland. The pass gives ticket holders access to iconic sites including The Guildhall, Tower Museum, Siege Museum and The Museum of Free Derry; tours of the City’s cathedrals and churches; and access to several guided tour options that take in the bustle of the city.
The launch of the Visit Derry Pass comes hot on the heels of the reopening of the tourism sector in Northern Ireland, with staycations expected to surge in popularity this summer. As an integral part of the city’s recovery strategy, Visit Derry recognised the opportunity to create a unified sightseeing pass which provides great value for money and brings together some of the City’s most-loved tourist sites, encouraging visitors to stay longer and explore more. The Visit Derry Pass is developed by Derry City and Strabane District Council in partnership with Visit Derry and part funded by Tourism Northern Ireland. It is priced from £25 per adult (1-day ticket) and £30 (2-day ticket). Passes can be bought online at www.visitderry.com/pass or in person at the Visitor Information Centre. The pass can be downloaded onto a smartphone or device making it even more convenient for visitors to use and pre-book before arrival.
Alderman Graham Warke, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council pictured at the launch of the new Visit Derry Pass with Odhran Dunne, Visit Derry CEO and staff from some of the attractions participating in the scheme. Visitors and locals alike can now enhance their experience of the city through a new innovative digital visitor pass developed by Derry City and Strabane District Council in partnership with Visit Derry and part funded by Tourism Northern Ireland. The Visit Derry Pass is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland and will provide discounted entry to ten of the most-loved attractions and activities across the city
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpg00Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2021-06-25 11:26:472021-06-25 11:27:58NEW VISITOR PASS ENCOURAGES VISITORS TO EXPLORE THE WALLED CITY OF DERRY THIS SUMMER
Derry-Londonderry has made the shortlist for Europe’s Leading Emerging Tourism Destination 2021 at The World Travel Awards.
The Walled City is one of eight emerging city destinations in with a chance of scooping the prize at the awards, nicknamed the ‘Oscars of Travel’.
Renowned as one of the finest examples of a Walled City in Europe and the primary destination for cultural and heritage experiences on the island, Derry is a worthy nominee and needs your votes to help scoop the top spot.
With international voting now open, people have been urged to get behind Derry.
Odhran Dunne, Chief Executive of Visit Derry commented: “We are delighted Derry has been nominated for Europe’s Leading Emerging Tourism Destination. Being a finalist in this prestigious award, puts us on a world stage as we begin to emerge from the covid crises and rebuild tourism. It strengthens our international appeal and rewards the commitment of all players in our local industry to position the city region as a must-visit destination. We have all the ingredients of a standout destination, centred on our historic City Walls, heritage, renowned lively cultural and events scene and strategic geographic location to be nominated for the award is fantastic. We look forward to the global industry and travel consumers recognising our emerging potential and giving us their vote!” You can cast your vote for the Maiden City as Leading Emerging Tourism Destination here. Voting closes on 14th July 2021.
Could the Walled City of Derry be the leading emerging tourism destination in Europe? Derry has made the shortlist at the prestigious World Travel Awards for Europe’s Leading Emerging Tourism Destination 2021. The winner will be the finalist who gains the most votes. To vote for Derry as Europe’s Leading Emerging Tourism Destination, visit www.visitderry.com/vote before 14th July. First to cast their vote is the Mayor Alderman Graham Warke with Visit Derry chair Michelle Simpson and Chief Executive Odhran Dunne. Supporting the voting are, Brenda Morgan, City of Derry Airport, Ethan Dunlop, City Cabs, Lawrence, Far and Wild, Carla McDevitt, Airporter, Kiera Duddy, The Pickled Duck, Bronagh Masoliber, Visit Derry. David Douglas, Derrie Danders and James Huey, Walled City Brewery, and
With December 25 fast approaching, a new website has been launched to help gift-givers shop local this Christmas.
shoplocalderrystrabane.com signposts shoppers towards the best artisan and locally made gift providers and showcases the outstanding food and drink options available in the City and District.
The easy-to-navigate site features video messages from business owners, daily competitions and links to the social media pages of other shop local initiatives.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Brian Tierney urged people to champion local businesses this festive season.
“It has never been more important for us to get behind businesses that are locally owned this year, given the smaller window they will have to open to the public. Finding the perfect gift for loved ones has never been easier or safer with many local retailers now offering click and collect or home delivery services.”
The site will function beyond Christmas time and will be available for the public to access in the New Year.
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpg00Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2020-12-15 13:49:362020-12-15 13:49:37New Shop Local website has Christmas wrapped up
First Minister Arlene Foster and deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill have announced an investment of £1.7million in a new arts and cultural project in the Derry-Londonderry Urban Village area.
The Ministers revealed plans from the Executive’s Urban Villages initiative to transform the existing New Gate Arts and Culture Centre in the Fountain estate and the adjacent vacant site into a state-of-the-art shared performance space.
First Minister Arlene Foster said: “The North West Cultural Partnership has used arts and creativity as a catalyst for change over the years, bringing people from different backgrounds and cultures together in shared experiences.
“The investment of £1.7m by the Executive’s Urban Villages Initiative, in a new build multi-use performance space will expand their ability and opportunity to facilitate more activities and training; while connecting with wider audiences, not only from the Urban Village area but across the City and further afield, breathing new life into this area.”
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpg00Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2020-12-15 13:33:582020-12-15 13:33:59£1.7m Investment for Fountain Arts and Culture Centre
Date: 23 Sep 2020. A world-class Visitor Information Centre has officially opened in the heart of Derry-Londonderry.
Derry City and Strabane District Council Mayor, Brian Tierney who officially opened Derry’s new state-of-the-art Visitor Information Centre at Waterloo Place, pictured with, Dave Vincent, Tourism NI, Colin Greer DFC, Catherine Crawley, centre manager and Odhran Dunne, Chief Executive, Visit Derry. The new centre, located in the heart of the city centre and adjacent to the historic City Walls, will be the new hub for tourists to the city and area looking for advice and information on the top attractions to visit and what events are happening across the city and district. Picture Martin McKeown. 23.09.20
Today
marked the opening of Derry’s new state-of-the-art Visitor Information Centre
at Waterloo Place. The new centre, located in the heart of the city centre and
adjacent to the historic City Walls, will be the new hub for tourists to the
city and area, looking for advice and information on the top attractions to
visit and what events are happening across the city and district.
The
refurbishment works commenced in December of last year following the decision
by Derry City and Strabane District Council to relocate the Visit Derry
Information Centre from Foyle Street into the city centre. Thanks to funding
from Council, the Department for Communities, the Department for Economy and
Tourism NI, work commenced on the project to put in place a world-class tourist
facility for the city and region.
Welcoming
the completion of the works and the opening of the new facility, Mayor of Derry
City and Strabane District Council Cllr Brian Tierney said the opening of the
new visitor information office was a significant milestone for Derry and the
wider region.
He
said: “This is a fantastic facility and I am hugely impressed with the work
that has been done to create this world-class centre in the heart of our city.
This is a very important tourism capital project for Council and all our
partners. We believe that it will greatly benefit our tourism business and
domestic and overseas visitors and allow us to showcase and promote our tourism
product in a much more animated way to a wider audience.
“This
facility will enhance the entire Waterloo Place area of the city and bring new
life and activity into a key retail area in the city centre. We believe this
location, right in the heart of the city centre and adjacent to the historic
city walls, will be popular with tourists as Guildhall Square and Waterloo
Place is a central hub for visitors to the city and that it will also greatly
help retailers and local businesses in that area of the city centre.”
The
Chief Executive of Tourism NI, John McGrillen commented; “This is a significant
project for tourism in Derry~Londonderry and we are delighted to support it.
The new visitor centre will provide an interactive experience with enhanced
digital offering and combined with the new central location, this will allow
visitors to easily access information on everything the city has to offer. This
new interactive visitor centre also compliments Tourism NI’s new experience
brand, Embrace a Giant Spirit and sends a clear message to the people here that
they should stay home, support local and explore what is on our doorstep.”
Communities
Minister Carál Ní Chuilín said: “I am delighted that my Department has been
able to support this project to relocate the Visit Derry Visitor Information
Centre to a more central location. The new state of the art facility
offers a unique and inspirational visitor experience in an attractive and
accessible setting and will provide a much needed boost to the city’s tourism
offering. This investment is timely as we work to support the economic
recovery of our town and city centres from the impacts of Covid-19. The
completion of this project will breathe much needed new life into the city
centre at a difficult time for traders.”
Economy
Minister Diane Dodds said: “Northern Ireland is world-renowned for its
tourism and hospitality offering and this new centre showcases the many visitor
attractions here in Londonderry and the surrounding areas. With so many people
staycationing this year, I hope as many people as possible will use the new
centre to find out something about their local area, and take advantage of the
many wonderfultourism
experiences and visitor destinations right on their doorstep.”
Since
2016 Visit Derry has been operating its marketing and administrative functions
from the Waterloo Place building. As part of the relocation, the remaining
front of house tourist staff will relocate from Foyle Street to the newly
refurbished Waterloo Place location.
Funding
for the project has been provided by Tourism NI, the Department for
Communities, the Department for the Economy and Derry City and Strabane
District Council.
Construction
work commenced in December 2019 and was suspended temporarily as a result of
COVID-19 but recommenced in recent weeks to facilitate the official opening.
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpg00Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2020-10-19 14:03:472020-10-28 15:26:07State-of-the-art Visitor Information Centre opens in Derry
Derry and Strabane’s fantastic
eateries and artisan producers are taking centre stage with the unveiling of
the LegenDerry food and drink brand.
The brand, launched by the local Food
and Drink Network and supported by the Council, brings together our finest food-focused
talent and puts the City and District firmly on the foodie map for locals and
visitors alike.
Our innovative, authentic producers, growers, chefs, brewers and restaurateurs are celebrated on the new LegenDerry food website and in marketing material, including this video.
On 28th Jan 2020, 7 students and 2 teachers from the Changchun City, Jilin Province, China traveled to the Derry City and Strabane Region to learn more about our culture; education techniques and to improve their English language skills.
International Language Students from Changchun City, Jilin Province, China, meet with the Mayor of Derry City & Strabane District Council
Working in partnership with the Mandarin Speakers Association in Derry, a number of students traveled to Derry to undertake an intensive English Language course and learn more about our culture. This year’s students from the city of Changchun/Jilin Province spent 3 weeks in the city undertaking lessons at both Ulster University and North West Regional College. The students and staff also integrated into 2 primary schools (The Model Primary School & Oakgrove Integrated Primary School) during their time in the city and hosted the Mandarin Speakers Association Chinese New Year Celebration in Ulster University on 26/01/20.
These students then returned to China and act as informal ambassadors for our city. The visit of the international students takes place annually and is part of Derry City and Strabane Council’s ongoing international engagement in China.
A Health Innovation Hub promoting innovative solutions to
support living well independently has been launched at the North West Regional
College (NWRC).
The Design Innovation Assisted Living Centre (DIAL) in the
heart of the college’s Strand Road campus, is the first of its kind in Northern
Ireland and provides a space where education, business, and the health and social
care sector can work together.
The state-of-the-art facility is also home to NWRC’s Academy
of Enhanced Care and Clinical Skills providing flexible and bespoke learning
for the professional workforce, informal carers, and the community.
Geraldine Lavery, Department Head of Health and Social Care
at NWRC, said the DIAL centre will make a significant impact to the lives of
local people and their carers who are facing the challenge of living
independently at home.
She added: “DIAL is a health innovation hub with a focus to
promote collaboration, learning and innovation so that improved practice models
and solutions are developed that will support independence and a quality of
life for greater numbers of people to live well at home.”
The opening of DIAL comes with the news that NWRC has
been designated as Health & Social Care ‘Curriculum Hub’ for the further
education sector in Northern Ireland. As the leadership College for NI, NWRC
will lead the HSC sector in curriculum development for Health
& Social Care from level 1 to 5.
With a high spec home simulation centre, DIAL will operate
as a demonstration centre for solutions to support independence, ranging from
specialised equipment, e-health, and smart bespoke digital including Alexa and
Eye Gaze. It also contains a dissemination and conference facility with leading
edge video/audio capture technology, external live streaming capability,
product demonstrations and regional learning networks
DIAL, which launched in November, has been developed by the
college in partnership with the Department for the Economy and Connected NI. It
also offers advice clinics for clients, carers and businesses, as well as live
modelling of design guidelines, standards and principles (e.g. design for
dementia).
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/PRESS-NWRCDIAL201193.jpg500822Jackhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgJack2019-12-13 09:24:082019-12-13 09:24:09NWRC launches Health Innovation Hub to support independent living
A high-level delegation from Pennsylvania’s
Department of Community and
Economic Development has visited the North West to engage with local companies
ahead of a trade mission to the US.
During
the trip, the representatives met with local businesses and visited Ulster
University, Letterkenny Institute of Technology and CoLab to explore the
opportunities for partnership with education and business centres in the US.
The
visit comes just weeks before a trade delegation from Derry, Strabane and Donegal travels
to Boston and Philadelphia.
The
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Cllr Michaela Boyle said she
was delighted to showcase the city and region for investment and collaborative
working.
She
added: “The delegates were very impressed with our offering and how well placed
we are in terms of offering cost competitive business opportunities in a cross border
location, along with high level digital connectivity with a skilled and talented
workforce pool.”
John Kelpie, Chief Executive with Derry City and
Strabane District Council, said the work being done by Derry City and Strabane
District Council and Donegal County Council and its partners to promote the
City Region for investment was beginning to gain momentum.
“We are really seeing the benefits of this joined
up and positive approach to establish strong economic development links and
initiatives between the US and the North West region,” he added.
“The visit by this delegation puts us in a really
positive position ahead of our trade mission planned for November.”
Seamus
Neely, Donegal County Council Chief Executive said there would be a strong
emphasis during the upcoming trade mission on promoting the region’s strategic
cross border location to the US market.
“We
will also be showcasing our talent, skills and entrepreneurship along with our
strong ICT strengths, well established eco system and quality of life,” he
said.
The North West
City region trade delegation will build on the work done over the past number
of years to build strong political, economic and cultural links and to reach
out to the diaspora. Key to the visit is the inclusion of local companies to
promote the region as an attractive investment proposition and to develop new
market and network opportunities.
The city of Derry~Londonderry’s tourism sector is thriving, enjoying
record occupancy levels and welcoming thousands of visitors each year. The
latest addition to the city’s portfolio is the new Holiday Inn Express Hotel,
which opened its doors in July 2019.
The Holiday Inn Express is part
of the Intercontinental Hotels Group, a global company representing 12 hotel
brands including Intercontinental Hotels, Crown Plaza Hotels and Hotel Indigo,
with over 5,000 partner hotels worldwide. The hotel will be managed by
Interstate Hotels and Resorts, one of the world’s leading independent
multinational hotel operators. These International partnerships and globally
renowned brands will provide the hotel and its team with unique access to a world-class
portfolio of knowledge, operational and reporting systems and training initiatives
to achieve the very highest standards of delivery.
The £7m development will support
the wider tourist and hospitality industry in Northern Ireland and provide a
new base for visitors to explore the city and surrounding areas. The hotel will
create 44 new jobs, generating employment and business opportunities for
service providers in the region.
General Manager Stephen Redden
commented “We are committed to building a dynamic, passionate and professional
team capable of delivering a first-class service for our guests. Our global
brand partnerships will enable us to offer ongoing development opportunities
for our employees ensuring the hotel is committed to continually enhancing
skills, capabilities and knowledge.”
The hotel is the second largest
in the city with 119 modern bedrooms and plans are already underway to further
increase capacity to 150 bedrooms by early 2020. All bedrooms are air-conditioned
and offer appealing amenities such as internet ready Smart TVs, blackout blinds
and a free Express Start™ Breakfast for all guests. The hotel’s Express Bar and
Café offers an informal all-day dining menu and two on-site meeting rooms can
accommodate up to 12 delegates.
Phase 2 of the development is
currently in progress to further transform the site with the addition of a
stylish independent bar, a chic destination restaurant and 22 modern
self-catering apartments, all due to open in 2020.
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Hi-Express-Derry-0-Exteriors-4.jpg372822Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2019-07-25 11:21:102019-10-14 13:59:24Holiday Inn Express city centre hotel opens in Derry ~ Londonderry creating 44 jobs
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