WORK IS to start on long-awaited tourist facilities at the Giant’s Causeway after a multimillion investment.
The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) announced £9.25 million funding to deliver replacement visitor services at the World Heritage Site.
The move follows the signing of an agreement between NITB and the National Trust, with the funding representing 50 per cent of the overall project cost.
Alan Clarke, chief executive of NITB said the funding had been given “on the basis of developing Northern Ireland’s only World Heritage Site and number one tourist attraction to provide a world-class tourism offering which will interpret the causeway and the wider region.
“This will provide opportunities to grow the tourism sector by signposting visitors to other attractions in the region, increasing the time that visitors stay in the region and increasing the amount spent by visitors.
The National Trust’s Director for Northern Ireland, Hilary McGrady, said: “This announcement means that now we should be on site by the end of spring.
Preliminary works will begin in May. This will see new car parks being created, retail and tourist information being relocated to the Causeway Hotel and additional toilets and onsite catering kiosks being provided.
Off-site works will provide for park and ride facilities in nearby Bushmills.
In autumn 2010 the main build will commence.
This will result in the restoration of the causeway headland, the building of the visitor facilities befitting the status of the site, an improved trails and path network, high quality interpretation and increased engagement with local communities. The building will be completed by summer 2012.
With about 500,000 visitors to the causeway the area has been in need of a visitor centre since 2000 when the previous building was buredt down.
The investment at the Giant’s Causeway has been welcomed by SDLP Enterprise and Tourism spokesman Dr Alasdair McDonnell.
“It is frankly embarrassing that our primary tourist attraction has languished for 10 years since the previous centre burned down”, he said. (Additional reporting PA)