32 | THE LOCAL TOURIST
www.nitravelnews.com THE LOCAL TOURIST
Northern Ireland Welcomes the 2024 Amgen Irish Open to its Giant Year of Golf
TOURISM NI has officially launched its giant welcome to visitors ahead of the 2024 Amgen Irish Open teeing off at the world-renowned Royal County Down Golf Club this September.
The hotly contested tournament, which
takes place in Newcastle, County Down, from 12th -15th September, will see golfing giants Rory McIlroy, Pádraig Harrington, Shane Lowry, Séamus Power and 21-year- old Tom McKibbin vie for Vincent Norrman’s crown.
Visitors are invited to be part of the festivities and cheer on a host of famous faces, including Patrick Kielty, Tommy Bowe, James Nesbitt and Johnny Sexton, as they battle it out in the Pro-Am tournament on 11th September.
From beautiful beaches, family-friendly
fun, must-try watersports, forest biking trails and mountainous excursions, there is plenty to explore in this UNESCO Global Geopark area as you soak up the festival atmosphere around the tournament. To plan your visit, both on and off the course, check out discovernorthernireland. com/things-to-do/golf/events/the-irish- open for a handy collection of packed itineraries, offers and what’s on guides across the Newry, Mourne and Down region, and beyond.
The celebrations begin with the Eats and Beats Festival (7th – 8th September) offering a packed programme of live performances across two stages,
with
cookery demonstrations and local artisan produce in addition to events in Newcastle throughout the week.
As Northern Ireland has just been named Best Golf Destination in Western Europe, the Amgen Irish Open promises to get everyone in the swing of things ahead of the highly anticipated return of the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club in July 2025. Siobhan McGuigan, Tourism Northern Ireland’s Head of Events, said: “This will be Northern Ireland’s fourth Irish Open in the past decade and, next year, we will welcome the return of the Open Championship, just six years after we last hosted this prestigious tournament. “The world certainly knows Northern Ireland’s epic landscape is made for golf. You can feel the giant welcome to Royal County Down as you marvel at the Mourne Mountains and stunning sea views. “And, with lots of fantastic events surrounding this year’s Amgen Irish Open, we want the world to know everyone is invited to stay and play, before, during and after the tournament and to embrace Northern Ireland’s giant spirit.” The Amgen Irish Open will be broadcast around the globe, reaching more than 450 million households worldwide. Daily and weekly tickets are available now. Children aged 12 and under are eligible for free general admission grounds tickets upon the purchase of an adult ticket, while those between the age of 13 and 17 are en- titled to discounted rates.
July/August 2024 The Everglades Hotel Completes £100,000 Upgrade
A leading North West hotel has completed a £100,000 upgrade programme ahead of the busy summer period.
The Everglades Hotel in Derry- Londonderry has unveiled the results of the significant renovations which have taken place across the majority of the property.
The Library Bar has received a complete facelift with new mirrored panelling and marble tables and re-upholstered furniture to reflect the stunning contemporary
new colour
scheme of dark blues, rusts and florals. A new gold-leaf detail has been added and is carried throughout the hotel. The flooring and original wooden bar have also been fully restored. The ground floor has been completely re-carpeted and The Grill Restaurant also has a new look with re-upholstered floral furniture, walls, woodwork and natural planting to reflect the
Eastside Arts Festival Programme Revealed
TITANIC Belfast has announced the creation of a new initiative that has already seen £147,000 set aside to help make a lasting impact for people and communities across Belfast and beyond.
In February 2023, the world-leading visitor attraction committed to donating 45p from every adult ticket sold into a dedicated annual Titanic Belfast Community Impact Fund in support of community groups, charities and organisations throughout the island of Ireland, across three key areas – people, place and prosperity. Over the last year, projects that the world-leading
visitor attraction has supported through the fund include a School Transport Bursary, launched to give schools in some of Belfast’s most deprived areas the opportunity to apply for free transport to enable them to book an educational visit to Titanic Belfast – 15 schools were supported with a total of 615 pupils enjoying a school trip. Local charity and social enterprise, Orchardville, was awarded a grant to support the vital work it does to help change the lives of people with learning disability and autism, alongside offering employment opportunities to individuals across various departments.
Titanic Belfast also sponsored Business in the Community’s Climate Action Programme which aims to actively engage and educate businesses and inspire them to take proactive steps towards climate action. Through this innovative initiative, four of Titanic Belfast’s suppliers were supported in completing Carbon Literacy Training, certified by the Carbon Literacy Trust. Other beneficiaries of the fund include Visit Belfast’s Changing the Menu for Good, which supports six organisations representing food banks, homelessness services and outreach support across the city. Titanic Belfast also sponsored Co- operation Ireland’s Future Leaders Programme as a Corporate Ambassador and made a donation to Maritime Belfast Trust in support of the ongoing conservation and restoration of heritage ship and last remaining White Star Line vessel SS Nomadic.
new brown and green colour scheme which is in keeping with the hotel’s surroundings offering views over the Prehen wooded area. Newly installed ornate blinds and antique paintings complete the stunning upgrade.
The renovations continue in The Grand Ballroom, the largest event space in the North West, and its bar and lounge areas with a feature ceiling added and new soft furnishings.
The four business suites have been upgraded with new IT capabilities,
upholstery and
painting whilst the painting has been refreshed in the hotel’s 64 bedrooms. To
complement the new
upgrades, the Everglades Hotel has also launched a reimagined visual identity to reflect its position as a leader in the city, attracting tourists and being a firm favourite with the domestic market.
EASTSIDE Arts has revealed the programme for its annual EastSide Arts Festival, 25 July – 4 August 2024. Packed with music, comedy,
tours, theatre,
and visual arts, this year’s festival promises to be really special. Across 11 days, festival-goers can enjoy 60+ unique accessible and inclusive events spread across east Belfast, showcasing the vibrant cultural scene and creative talent in this part of the city,.
Killyhevlin Hotel Celebrates First Anniversary of Lakeland Studios
KILLYHEVLIN Lakeside Hotel & Lodges is celebrating the first anniversary of its luxury self- catering studios and maintains a consistent growth path with its
policy of continual re-
investment which has seen over £4m spent over the last three years.
In this time, the hotel has doubled its luxurious self-catering accommodation collection, which includes Woodland Lodges with private Hot Tubs, Lakeside Lodges and Lakeland Studios. Since opening in July 2023, over 5,000 guests have enjoyed a Lakeland Studio break and made ‘Memories By The Lakes’.
Killyhevlin
Lakeside Hotel & Lodges, Finance Director Jacqueline Wright said: “We are delighted to be celebrating a hugely successful first year of our Lakeland Studios which have
been the perfect addition to our extensive
collection accommodation. The continued
investment in our product demonstrates our commitment to providing a unique visitor experience and the new Studios have played a key role in our 20% increase in turnover over this 3 year period.” Leigh Watson,
HR Director
added: “It’s a double celebration for us as we are also thrilled to have been named Hotel of the Year (Under 75 Rooms) at the Licensed & Catering News
This prestigious accolade is in recognition
of
our continued investment,
luxurious accommodation and facilities, our hard-working and dedicated employees, and the first- class experience we provide our
guests.” of luxury
workshops, literature
Awards.
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