Council hosts first Tourism Familiarisation Trip
December 1, 2015
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council was delighted to host its first Tourism Familiarisation Trip in the area, to promote and showcase the best of Lisburn and Castlereagh tourism.
Funded by Tourism Northern Ireland, the Familiarisation Trip saw the Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Councillor Thomas Beckett welcome influential tourism representatives from local accommodation providers, local attractions and twelve Visitor Information Centres from across Northern Ireland to the royal residence at Hillsborough Castle.
Representatives had the opportunity to visit an array of key tourism providers situated within the Lisburn and Castlereagh area, including, Hillsborough Courthouse and Village, Lagan Valley Leisureplex, Hillmount Garden Centre, Dundonald International Ice Bowl, We are Vertigo and the Ivanhoe Hotel & Inn.
Speaking at the visit, the Mayor, Councillor Thomas Beckett, said, “The Council finds that trips such as this one are very beneficial for showing what the area has to offer.
“I would like to welcome the representatives from Tourism Northern Ireland and say a special thank you to them for their support and funding for this visit.
“We have an exciting year ahead in Northern Ireland with the 2016 Year of Food & Drink approaching and Lisburn-Castlereagh has never been in a better position to showcase its variety of home grown products and passions. From Johnsons Coffee in Lisburn; planning to grow their own coffee locally, to the increasingly popular delicacies of Hilden Brewery’s and Hughes Distillery’s craft beverages.
“Lisburn and Castlereagh has already been celebrating their food industry this year with Restaurant Week being a huge success, which included live cookery demonstrations and a host of local restaurants offering themed evenings and special discounts.
“The quality of our locally grown and bred produce has being recognised nationally with the inclusion of three restaurants being included in the 2016 Michelin “Eating Out In Pubs” Guide. These are the Parson’s Nose and The Plough, both here in Hillsborough village, and The Pheasant in Annahilt, whose chef sources their freshly caught pheasant, pigeon and venison from nearby Larchfield Estate.”
As well as benefiting from the hospitality of Hillsborough Castle, Hillmount Nurseries and The Ivanhoe Hotel on this familiarisation trip, delegates got a taste of some of the visitor attractions in the Lisburn and Castlereagh area, which was thoroughly enjoyed.
The organisers of the familiarisation trip have received very positive feedback from everyone who attended, and look forward to planning the next industry visit.