1. Executive Summary Background
Antrim and Newtownabbey possesses a rich cultural and natural heritage, good access and sufficient business infrastructure to establish and sustain a substantial and successful tourism sector. The Borough’s principal resources with potential for development for tourism are cultural heritage supported by gardens and parks, waterways and festival and events programme.
Development Potential
The Borough has a number of major attractions of regional significance in terms of visitor numbers and/or of historic and cultural importance such as Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House and Shane’s Castle. These sites attract significant and growing numbers, whereas the Borough’s forests, activity sites, museums and theatres provide a regular and sustainable flow of tourists into the Borough, albeit with potential for growth. There is extensive open space sport and outdoor recreation provision across the Borough including a number of formal parks in the main urban areas. There are opportunities for recreational walking and cycling in the Borough including the Newtownabbey Way and other shorter waymarked routes. The tourism offer of neighbouring Belfast City Council and the ease of access to substantial natural assets that include Lough Neagh, Belfast Lough Shore, the Lower Bann Valley, and parts of both the Belfast Hills and Antrim Hills, creates a diverse range of potential tourism assets in the Borough. Tourism assets in the Borough are concentrated in several hubs. Antrim Town provides a range of historic, cultural and activity tourism interests. Randalstown and Newtownabbey provide minor hubs, with the latter providing a more commercial leisure focus of tourism interests. Other assets are distributed evenly throughout the Sixmilewater Valley or are close to the A6 corridor. There is a noticeable gap in tourism assets in rural areas to the south of Antrim, Templepatrick and Mallusk despite the area having an abundance of accommodation available. Antrim and Newtownabbey is located between two of Northern Ireland’s most significant key tourism destination areas, namely Belfast and the Causeway Coast and Glens. There is good access into the Borough, public transport is good and transport networks within the Borough are good. Antrim and Newtownabbey has a strong hotel and conference facility provision, but a shortage of tourism products and experiences – ‘things to see and do’. Antrim and Newtownabbey visitor attractions are not sufficiently developed or presented to the market. Through the boost provided by the Tourism NI Draft Tourism Strategy 2025, and by collaborating with neighbouring Local Authorities, private sector developers and operators, and local communities, Antrim and Newtownabbey can develop a distinctive range of tourism products that will complement tourism developments in Northern Ireland and generate substantial socio-economic benefits for the Borough. Opportunities exist for Antrim and Newtownabbey to deliver a visitor destination, achievable within an environment of fiscal constraints, by looking at creative ways to leverage investment. Key Findings and Recommendations The Strategy for Antrim and Newtownabbey 2017 -2022 will drive awareness and encourage tourism and recreational use of the Borough’s resources. Developments to facilitate such usage will focus on: •
Enhancing the Visitor Experience and Product Development including developments under: Culture and Heritage; Natural Heritage; Outdoors; Festivals and Events; Business tourism;
Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council: Tourism Strategy 2017-2022
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