Environment Minister, Alex Attwood, today issued a new planning policy for sustainable tourism development.

Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 16 will bring forward clearer, more flexible planning policy creating more opportunities for tourism that will be beneficial to the local economy and will protect tourism assets from inappropriate development.

Derry Visitor and Convention Bureau (DVCB) have released the monthly hotel occupancy figures for May and are delighted to report that the average hotel occupancy across the city was 80.68%. This was 12% higher than that recorded for May 2012 (68.83%) and is the highest May occupancy ever recorded in the city.

Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland has announced a £45,000 investment for the installation of free Wi-Fi for Portrush.

A joint initiative by the Department for Social Development, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Coleraine Borough Council will see the installation of free Wi-Fi in Portrush on a two year pilot basis.

2013 WPFG Ltd has completed another significant stage in the countdown towards the 1st August start date.

The ‘bracketing’ process which traditionally takes place twelve weeks before the Games begin has successfully concluded. This has allowed Directors of the WPFG Federation to draw up sports schedules, confirm timetables at venues and finalise age/gender categories for each sport.