A brand new adventure concept for local tourism has been launched by the Mayor of Derry and Strabane, focusing on the promotion of nature based experiences unique to our local area.
Slow Adventure offers ten new visitor packages which provide immersive experiences that allow people to enjoy remote, wild and nature-rich places.
The packages have been put together by 13 local tourism businesses and were revealed at an exclusive launch event in the Walled City Brewery in Derry.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Councillor Maolíosa McHugh, said they offered a unique opportunity to find out more about locally sourced produce, wildlife and the natural environment.
“I am delighted to see the development of this programme here in the North West and the strong focus on some of our beautiful rural areas which offer a truly unique visitor experience.
“We are the first and only area in Northern Ireland to offer slow adventure experiences which are an amazing way to journey through the breath-taking local landscapes and engage with our natural surroundings.”
Each of the ten packages has been carefully crafted to make the introduction to slow adventure as memorable as possible.
You can now walk through the Glenga Valley in the heart of the Sperrins foraging for food along the way, bake your own bread the traditional way in the farmhouse kitchen of Bradkeel Social Farm, see how artisan cheese is produced, or have a go at traditional fishing on the River Foyle and cook your catch on a wild camp fire.
Other packages include interactive cooking demonstrations with local hand-picked ingredients, Irish walking tours, horse riding in the Faughan Valley as well as deer stalking, bird shooting and salmon fishing in Strabane.
Visitors to the Derry and Strabane area can experience these new slow adventure packages over the weekend of Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th September as Derry City and Strabane District Council hosts the first ever ‘Slow Adventure Weekend’.
At the launch, James Huey from the Walled City Brewery, one of the local tourism businesses offering a slow adventure package, commented:
“There is something very special about participating in a slow adventure. It’s not just about taking part in an activity, the crux of a slow adventure is to give people the chance to really get away from it all and create memorable experiences.”
This new concept has been introduced to Northern Ireland as part of a transnational programme to promote slow adventures in Scotland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The Slow Adventure in the Northern Territories, or SAINT Programme, is a three year programme with support from The Northern Periphery and Arctic 2014-2020.
The Northern Irish project partner, Derry City and Strabane District Council, has been working with local tourism businesses since September 2015 to create the new slow adventure packages using their learnings from the other destinations across the world also involved in the programme.
Visit www.slowadventureni.com to see what’s on offer during this year’s Slow Adventure Weekend and throughout the year to start planning your next adventure!
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