Northern Ireland’s biggest sporting festival, the Kennedy International North West 200 in association with Coca-Cola Zero has launched a new tourism campaign, branded ‘Stay a While’ set to encourage visitors both local and international to extend their overall stay thereby increasing the economic spend in the region.

Attracting 250,000 visitors during Race Week through to Race Day and generating almost £8 million for the Northern Ireland economy, the North West 200 makes a huge contribution to the local tourism industry bringing over teams and racing fans from all over the world as well as generating global coverage through BBC Sport NI, websites and international publications.

The new campaign funded by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is managed by the North West 200’s business and operations manager, Laura McManus and features 10 specially designed routes which travellers can follow before or after North West 200 Race Day.

Explained Laura McManus, “Whilst our action packed Race Week Festival run in conjunction with Coleraine Borough Council encourages visitors to come early to the region, our new campaign urges both local and international tourists to stay a while longer and check out our many and varied attractions and amenities whether sporting or cultural.

“In tandem with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board we’ve created a range of suggested travel itineraries to include trips to Derry, along the Causeway Coast, through the Sperrins, the Fermanagh Lakes, Lough Neagh, Rathlin Island and the highly acclaimed St Patrick’s Trail.”

Suggested itineraries can be downloaded online this year and for 2010 a new hard copy publication will be available at tourist information centres throughout the UK. Each proposed route is packed full of interesting activities, historic attractions as well as hidden gems.

“Our North West 200 Stay a While campaign features a unique logo and extensive 48 and 6 sheet advertising in key areas of Northern Ireland to generate interest amongst local visitors this year. The campaign went live from early May and we plan to progress our development work and take the campaign to an international audience as we build up to May 2010.” concluded Laura McManus.

For more information visit www.northwest200.org.