Last week Rachel Little, Sara Coppard and Kieran Swail from the Business and Economic Engagement Team met with Brian Johnston, Joanne McElmeel and Sarah McGeary from the Tourism, Culture and Arts team at Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council.
It was fantastic to visit the Navan Centre and Fort, where we enjoyed a tour of this remarkable site and heard about exciting plans for its future and the recent success of the Wickerman Gathering.
We discussed the ambition to secure World Heritage status by 2031, positioning Navan as one of Ireland’s six Royal Sites, as well as the potential for Southern regional College and ABC Council to work together for mutual benefit.
Our conversations explored opportunities around:
-Tourism and hospitality courses offered by SRC
- Innovation support for tourism and hospitality businesses
- The tourism product in the ABC region
- Student placements and industry experience
- Community engagement in shaping the future use of the Navan Centre
- Supporting local food and tourism businesses to develop and package experiences
- Deploying new technologies at the Navan Centre to enhance the visitor experience
SRC has agreed to organise a follow-up workshop for food and tourism businesses, focused on helping them create compelling, bookable experiences for visitors.
We also look forward to hearing more about ABC Council’s Tourism Conference on 10 October.
A very positive and productive meeting, with plenty of potential for continued collaboration, industry engagement and tourism development across the area.
