Belfast City Council has published the second in a series of new tourism guides about the city’s cultural quarters. The Cathedral Quarter guide explores the rich cultural and social history of the oldest area in…
Belfast City Council has published the second in a series of new tourism guides about the city’s cultural quarters. The Cathedral Quarter guide explores the rich cultural and social history of the oldest area in Belfast – that around St. Anne’s Cathedral. It follows the publication earlier in the summer of a similar guide to the Queen’s Quarter. Guides to the Gaeltacht and Titanic Quarters will be published later in the year.
Launching the new Cathedral Quarter guide, Councillor Diane Dodds, Chairman of the Council’s Tourism Sub-Committee, said that it such publications were the next step in the Council’s continual development and enhancement of Belfast’s tourism product in general and the Cultural Quarters of the City in particular.
“Tourism is an important economic generator to the City’s economy,” Councillor Dodds pointed out.
“Belfast is one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in Europe. In 2005, a staggering 6.4 million people came into the city – an increase of eight per cent on 2004. The positive trend is excellent news for the tourism and hospitality industry in the city, and also brings a significant financial boost as the estimated visitor spend rose by nine per cent in 2005 to £285 million. The latest significant increase in visitors shows how important the city has become as a tourist destination. We have more to offer visitors than ever before and if we can continue to build on this success, there is no reason why we should not see sustained growth in the future,” continued Councillor Dodds.
“It is important that we promote the distinct quarters of the city, and this guide to the Cathedral Quarter will be important in encouraging visitors to explore an area of unique importance in the history and development of Belfast in the past, and hopefully of equal importance in the telling of Belfast’s story in years to come.”
The Cathedral Quarter and Queen’s Quarter guides are available from the Belfast Welcome Centre, the tourist information centre in City Hall and many other venues.
Over the coming months, the Council will be publishing guides to the Gaeltacht and Titanic Quarters ‘Luxury Belfast’ and ‘Hard Hat Tourism’, looking at the city’s industrial heritage. There also will be guides to Belfast’s musical, artistic and literary heritage, it’s rich wildlife, and to researching family history in the city.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
