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Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has announced its plans to spend Belfast Region City Deal funding of £30m that they were unable to utilise due to plans failing through with their Mourne Mountain Gateway gondola project and a proposed Kilbroney Forest Park project.
The plan announced today would see a major new immersive tourism trail linking Carlingford Lough to Strangford Lough, with an outline business case to be developed as part of the City Deal. The proposal would see significant investment at a number of key sites across the district, with the aim of creating internationally competitive visitor attractions.
The concept plan centres on connecting Kilbroney Forest Park in Rostrevor, Slieve Gullion Forest Park in South Armagh and Delamont Country Park on the outskirts of Killyleagh, with each earmarked for investment to bring them up to international standard. The plan also focuses on the UNESCO Mourne Gullion Strangford Global Geopark and Castlewellan Forest Park, where Northern Ireland's first treetop walk is proposed.
Approval to progress to the outline business case stage has been agreed by the Belfast Region City Deal Executive Board, supported by partners including the Department for the Economy, the Department of Finance and Tourism Northern Ireland. The recommendation was endorsed by the Council's Strategy, Policy and Resources Committee at its meeting tonight, 23 April and is due to go before full Council next month. The outline business case is then expected to be presented to the Belfast Region City Deal before the end of the year.
Discussions on retaining the £30m funding allocation within the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area began in August 2025, with Council officers and elected members engaging with a specialist tourism consultant since September 2025 to develop the concept.
The district's natural assets are central to the proposal. With 100 miles of coastline, three Blue Flag beaches, four Green Flag Country and Forest Parks, three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a UNESCO Global Geopark, the Council say their aim is to use the area's combination of mountains, forests and waterways to deliver a high value tourism offering with measurable regional impact.
The new Narrow Water Bridge linking Warrenpoint with Omeath, due to open at the end of next year, is seen as an important element of the plan. New greenway links from the bridge into Warrenpoint are also being developed as part of the wider proposal.
Alongside the main tourism trail, a Challenge Fund is proposed to allow local tourism businesses to apply for grant aid to enhance their offering as part of the effort to attract international visitors and encourage longer stays. This follows the Council's unveiling last September of a £1 million hotel development grant scheme aimed at stimulating new investment in accommodation.
A stakeholder engagement strategy is to be developed in partnership with a multi-disciplinary team to ensure that technical, operational, financial and community perspectives all inform the concept design going forward.
If full Council agrees to progress the plan at their May meeting, work on the outline business case will begin immediately, including the setting of key timelines.
