A new tourist ferry that will give passengers a view of Derry from the Foyle will begin daily trips next month.
The Foyle Cruise Line has taken delivery of a 135ft vessel costing £300,000. It will offer daily cruises from Queen's Quay, several miles downriver, to Culmore and will be chartered for private parties and corporate entertainment.
The vessel can hold 172 passengers with two lounges on the main deck, a bar on the lower deck and an open deck.
The idea of having a cruise ship permanently based on the Foyle has been germinating for years, following a major tourism study of the area. Derry City Council commissioned tourism consultant Edward Friel to investigate tourism potential in the area, and in his report he said
Derry "had turned its back on the river".
According to Charlie Hegarty, spokesman for Foyle Cruise Line, its city cruises will be a first step in attempting to address this failing.
He said that locals and visitors alike should find the trips down the river both interesting and entertaining. "The daily cruises, which will last for just over an hour, will leave from the Queen's Quay berth and go downriver as far as Culmore.
"Viewing the city from the river gives a completely new perspective on familiar landmarks. We'll have qualified tour guides on board, giving background information on a variety of topics such as local social and economic history, architecture, culture, flora and fauna, famous people; in fact, just about anything the passengers want to listen to."
The vessel, which is undergoing a refit, will start operating next month, and will run seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. Once operational, the project will create three full-time and four part-time jobs.
The next phase of Foyle Cruise Line's development programme is to have another vessel on the Foyle.