Maritime Heritage Based Tourism Infrastructure and Communication

‘The Maritime Heritage Based Tourism Infrastructure and Communication’ project was a collaborative project between Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership (SLLP), Newry Mourne and Down District Council, Ards and North Down Borough Council and the Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority. The aim of the project was to improve the capacity of the fishing dependent communities, by enabling each town/village areas to attract and retain tourists and other business and to add to their current tourism offering whilst increasing the services available at the harbours.

The project brought together a number of interrelated work packages which include Heritage Trails, Heritage Guides, Public Realm of Portavogie and Wi-Fi provision within Ardglass, Kilkeel and Portavogie. The overall project was led by SLLP who are responsible for the delivery of the Heritage Guides. Newry, Mourne and Down District Council for the Heritage Trails, Ards and North Down District Council for Portavogie Public Realm and the NIFHA manage the Wi-Fi access within each of the three locations.

The delivery of this project demonstrates the true ethos of the FLAG approach, with a range of organisations working together to develop a project with wide reaching benefits for the local community. It is because of this approach the FLAG were keen to approve such a project.