City of Culturehas potential200m reach

Equally, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) has already pledged £700k to the UK City of culture programme of events subject to necessary approval.

NITB’s Tourism Events Fund will also open again in the autumn of 2012 to which projects in Londonderry can apply.

Tourism Minister Arlene Foster outlined the promotion drives in response to an Assembly Question from East Londonderry MLA Gregory Campbell.

She stated: “NITB will be working with the Culture Company to develop and align marketing and communications plans for 2013.

“Tourism Ireland‘s new three-year global advertising campaign will reach over 200 million consumers in 2012 alone and has been developed to be flexible and adaptable and will evolve over its three year lifespan to capitalise on events such as Londonderry UK City of Culture 2013.

“Tourism Ireland is already promoting Londonderry worldwide in advance of the arrival in July of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and events such as the Peace One Day concert at Ebrington Barracks in June, marking the opening of the London 2012 Festival and Paralympic Games.

“Tourism Ireland’s programme of trade and familiarisation visits to Londonderry continues and in relation to business tourism, Tourism Ireland will sponsor the annual conference of the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO) which will take place in Londonderry in 2013.”