NI named in top ten in Europe
Widely read and respected travel bible, Lonely Planet, has declared that Northern Ireland is a cool place to visit. One could be forgiven for thinking that this was a rather fair appraisal of the weather, but no – the magazine has given Northern Ireland its much coveted seal of approval.
Together with Croatia, Marseille and Budapest Northern Ireland has been described by Lonely Planet as ‘on the up’ and ‘poised to be the next traveller find’. It praised new visitor attractions like Titanic Belfast and established favourites like the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and The Giant’s Causeway.
Diane Poole OBE, Stena Line’s Head of PR and Communications, said: “Over the last number of years, Northern Ireland has cleverly shaken off the shackles of the past to confidently step into a new era filled with hope, excitement and, due to hosting some much-watched global events, lots of visitors”, said Diane. “It is now one of those destinations that’s considered ‘off the beaten track’, that’s shrouded in mystery and seen as culturally rich and exciting.”
Getting a top ten listing in Lonely Planet’s Top European Destinations for 2013 will attract lots of curious explorers keen to see what all the fuss is about.
A must-visit destination is Northern Ireland’s second largest city, Derry~Londonderry, the only surviving walled city in Ireland. It is celebrating its City of Culture status with a year of cultural and arts events, including hosting the Turner Prize 2013.
The country is also famous for its sporting sons and daughters like footballer, George Best and Olympian, Dame Mary Peters DBE, LL but it’s the emerging sport of Ice Hockey that is putting the country on the map. The Belfast Giants team, sponsored by Stena Line, has won three regular-season titles as well as two playoff tournaments.
Diane said: “Those who travel to Northern Ireland with Stena Line will experience some of Europe’s most luxuriously fitted-out ships and enjoy all the comforts and amenities associated with modern day ferry travel today. At Stena Line we have invested millions of pounds in upgrading our ships and onboard services – improving our cabins, food offering and shopping experience on all Irish Sea routes, with more improvements to come.”
You can get to Northern Ireland direct from Stena Line’s Cairnryan and Liverpool ports or to the Republic of Ireland via their Holyhead – Dublin Port and Dun Laoghaire services and Fishguard – Rosslare – more info here www.stenaline.co.uk.
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MEDIA ENQUIRIES: For further information, please contact Michael McCrory of Duffy Rafferty Communications on 028 9073 0880.
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