Travel Weekly Blog

A transcript of a Northern Ireland Assembly debate on tourism recently popped up on my theyworkforyou.com email alert.

What makes it particularly interesting is that Paul Maskey of Sinn Fein, whose motion initiated the debate, recommends developing political tourism.

I understand that people have sensitivities towards political tourism. However, I also recognise that it has massive potential to grow the tourism industry and will assist in the regeneration of many areas of social need throughout the North.

Robin Newton of the DUP later counters:

The aim of political tourism is to confuse the political process and to present a biased and prejudiced approach to the events of the past. That is a road down which Northern Ireland tourism must not travel.

There's much to think about here, even for those with no specific interest in Northern Ireland. Is there a time threshold beyond which dark episodes of history can acceptably be used to drive tourism? Does the mere possibility of bias make all 'political tourism' untenable? And if objectivity is vital, how is it to be enforced?

Anyone with even a passing interest in tourism and/or destination marketing should give it a read.

Nathan Midgley, web producer