Wild Atlantic Way could be extended to NI, Conor Murphy says

Tourism promotion on the island of Ireland is split between three agencies.

Fáilte Ireland promotes the Republic of Ireland, Tourism NI promotes Northern Ireland and Tourism Ireland jointly markets the whole island to international visitors.

As a Fáilte Ireland initiative, the Wild Atlantic Way does not currently include Northern Ireland on the route.

It is regarded as a highly successful brand with a recent analysis for Fáilte Ireland estimating that it generates revenue of about €3bn (£2.58bn) per year for communities along the route.

Mr Murphy, whose responsibilities as minister include tourism, has said he wants discussions to include consideration of “rolling the wild Atlantic Way into the Causeway Coastal Route, the Hidden Heartlands into Fermanagh, and places such as Downpatrick and Armagh into Ireland’s Ancient East”.

The possibility of extending the Wild Atlantic Way has been floated before but no serious proposals ever previously emerged.

Discussions would need to consider how the move would impact existing tourism branding in Northern Ireland and consider any potential costs.