Newry, Mourne & Down Tourism Strategy 2017-2021 and Experience Development Plan

Project Overview

Tourism Planning Group’s principal consultant worked in association with TEAM Tourism Consulting to provide the lead expertise for these two projects. The Tourism Strategy (2017-2021) was designed to provide a strategic road-map for the new District Council following local government reorganization in 2015. 

The Strategy focused on identifying key destination areas, developing positioning ‘headlines’ that would give the destination areas a strong identity, and establishing a ‘promise’ that would underlie catalyst and infrastructure projects. The headline, mountains, myths and maritime emerged and helped shape the direction of the strategy, while the promise of ‘Delivering EPIC Moments’ provided the basis for moving forward with planning for experience development.

The Experience Development Plan, completed in 2018, developed a thematic narrative for the destination with four cross-regional creative themes that pulled together the essence of the destination’s landscape, geology, and cultural heritage down through the millennia. This approach has helped to create a stronger image of what makes Newry, Mourne and Down distinctive and has provided a framework for themed experience development.

With a particular focus on the mountains and the coastline, the Tourism Strategy and the Experience Development Plan work together to leverage the dramatic relationship between the mountains and the sea; the myths and stories that highlight the rich cultural heritage of the region; and the unique opportunities to engage in adventure and experience the landscape.