Derry City and Strabane District Council to support development of new tourism experiences

Derry City and Strabane District Council is encouraging local innovators to develop new, market-ready visitor experiences aimed at enhancing the North West's destination offering and boosting the local tourism economy.

The programme will provide targeted support for individuals or groups with early-stage ideas that may appeal to local, national, and international audiences. It will also help existing tourism businesses or providers already engaging with Council and hoping to expand their offer by developing new experiences. Ideas may focus on themes such as music, heritage, outdoor and adventure, nature, wellness, screen and food and drink.

Launching the initiative, the Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Ruairí McHugh said: “Our City and District is steeped in history and heritage, with many areas of outstanding natural beauty, offering visitors some world class visitor experiences. We feel it’s important that we further enhance that offering by working closely with our tourism providers to offer support and assistance in developing their product and boosting our cultural and tourism experiences.”

Tourism Manager with Derry City and Strabane District Council, Jennifer O’Donnell, outlined what the programme involves: “We want to develop experiences that really capture the culture and charm that our City and District has to offer our visitors,” she explained.  

“The programme will support the development of new and innovative tourism experience ideas through a series of practical learning modules designed to help participants bring their concepts to life.

"Tailored one-to-one mentoring will guide each participant, with sustainability, accessibility, and innovation embedded throughout every stage. Participants will also receive advice on potential funding opportunities and take part in a market testing phase to refine and showcase their new experience concepts.”

“Proposed experiences should be of high quality, appealing to a diverse range of visitors from families and solo travellers to couples and groups. Each should capture the distinctive spirit of the Derry City and Strabane District area, offering a genuine sense of place and aligning with Tourism Northern Ireland’s Embrace a Giant Spirit brand.”

Anyone interested in applying to be part of the Tourism Experience Development Programme is invited to attend an online information session on Monday, November 24 2025, from 6.00pm – 7.30pm.

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To register your interest, please email caroline@runda.ie by Monday, November 17 2025, including your name, address, and a short outline of your idea.

For more information, visit www.derrystrabane.com/experiencedevelopment.