Of 40 destinations on the map, only two - the Tower Museum and the Workhouse Museum - are in Derry.

Local councillor Maeve McLaughlin had accused the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) of ignoring the potential of cultural tourism in Derry.

“An outsider would ask themselves why would they visit that city,” she said. “The Tower Museum and the Workhouse Museum are in their own right excellent locations and venues, but we have a wealth of other destinations which we know from our visitor figures people are going to.”

NITB said it was not responsible for omissions or errors, adding that, once it was made aware of such issues, future publications would be amended.

Councillor McLaughlin says she has already raised the matter with both Derry City Council and NITB.

Unique selling points

“Cultural tourism is one of the North’s unique selling points. We can see this on a daily basis by the hundreds of visitors who flock to Free Derry Corner, the Bogside murals, the Hunger Strike monument, the Museum of Free Derry and the Fountain. These are distinct attractions and yet there is no promotion of these areas at present by NITB. Figures released recently showed more than 14,000 people visited the Museum of Free Derry alone in 2007 and so far this year more than 12,000 people have gone through the doors. Tourism has been prioritised by the Assembly and through the Programme for Government as a key economic driver for the region. Derry City Council have committed to increasing visitor figures to 203,000 per annum by March 2009.”

Clear leadership required

She says that, while there is a wealth of work in the tourism sector in this city, clear leadership and strategic direction is required.

“Everyone has their role and should have input into tourism delivery. We need a united voice for tourism delivery which asserts a commitment to tourism accommodation in working class areas.

“Derry requires a planning policy statement on tourism which encompasses festival events marketing, transport and coach parking facilities and proper marketing support.

“People flock to this city to learn about the story of Derry; NITB should be supporting the local sector to develop this and putting money into promoting key attractions in local areas.”