Subscribe to the News Feed Newsback to News

Wednesday, 28 July 2010

Tourist board defends Derry safety ad

The advert which appeared in Tuesday's edition of the Sun newspaper offered readers the chance to win a cultural break to the city.

The Northern Ireland tourist board has defended the choice of words it used in a competition placed in a newspaper to promote Londonderry, which included a disclaimer regarding safety.

We’re sorry. This video is unavailable from your location.

Critics have claimed it gave the impression those visiting the area wouldn't be safe.

The advert, which appeared in Tuesday's edition of the Sun newspaper, offered readers the chance to win a cultural break to the city.

At the bottom it read: "NITB doesn't accept any responsibility for personal safety during this trip".

The DUP have criticised the tourist board branding the statement "a bizarre choice of words."

DUP MLA for East Londonderry Adrian McQuillan has demanded an explanation.

"Putting a personal safety warning on an advertisement for a Northern Ireland destination seems a bizarre course of action for a body that is charged with marketing our Province as a tourism product," Mr McQuillan said.

"Just what sort of a message does such a disclaimer send to people who may have been interested in entering the competition in order to win the chance to visit Londonderry?"

"The NITB have managed to convey the impression that tourists aren't safe in Londonderry, which is hardly what one expects from a body charged with attracting tourists to Northern Ireland", he added.

In a statement the NITB said such wording is standard practice for many travel related competitions to destinations across the world.

"When placing a competition in the press there are generic terms and conditions attached which are managed and placed by the communications agency.

"The clause in question is a standard disclaimer used by the agency for all competitions which involve travel to any destination.

"It is designed to cover any type of accident or personal injury which the competition organiser would expect personal or travel insurance to cover.

"This is standard practice for many travel related competitions to a wide range of destinations across the world.

"NITB is pleased that this has been brought to our attention and we will be addressing the wording for future competitions."

The advert was placed to promote Londonderry after it won the UK City of Culture status earlier this month.

Send to a friend

Email To
Your Name
Comment

Comments

8 Comments

At 12:09 on 02 August 2010, D wrote:

Funny, I lived there for 25 years and continue to come back several times a year and not once have I been attacked - and thats being out drinking in town every weekend I'm there! It must be a miracle! As for OldSods portrayal of Derry in its entireity- a complete generalisation. No doubt he once went to the Bogside and decided the whole place was like that. In few areas would you see the sights you describe and I've seen much worse in during my time living in Belfast and Glasgow - but hey those cities are 'up-and-coming' and fashionable so lets just completely ignore their drug and poverty riddled estates.

At 00:52 on 30 July 2010, OldSod wrote:

To be fair, Derry is Northern Ireland's "Limerick". Having worked there up until recently, I would consider it an "unsafe city". As others have pointed out, other cities are unsafe also, but I'd say Derry does come across as worse than most places overall. It has great potential as a cultural city with many fine buildings and a rich history, but outside the city centre, some estates look more like open air toilets as the people just throw their rubbish everywhere, dogs and feral children roam the streets at all hours,... wearing £5 tracksuits and £100 trainers. Its ridiculous to see people wandering to the shops at five o'clock in the evening in their pyjamas,.... you are never more than a few meters from an empty alcohol container, so all this has got to change! Its not all bad and it can improve and the City of Culture accolade should be seen as something to aspire to and can only do the city some good.

At 22:30 on 29 July 2010, doirecormac wrote:

I totally refute Joseph Kelly's comments. The scumbags in Derry do not attack just tourists - they are equal opportunity scumbags - they will attack anyone. I don't believe that it was right to carry the warning on the competition but Derry is a violent place at night. Take away venues, taxi stands and outside nightlubs are dangerous places to be after dark. Sad but true - and I live here!

At 19:58 on 29 July 2010, D wrote:

So joseph I suppose you'd claim someone wearing a celtic or GAA jersey in East Belfast, Portadown, Coleraine, Ballymeena, etc, etc would be just fine! Bigotry is a northern ireland problem not a derry one! I doubt you've been anywhere near derry and can you provide a source for the 'figures' which show the number of tourists attacked in the city? Just made them up did you? Just believing negative reporting from the media? Thought so.

At 18:12 on 29 July 2010, maggie wrote:

@ joseph kelly...what a load of rubbish, thats the attitude that keeps people divided, I for one would not wear either colours in any city in Northern Ireland, why class yourself?

At 09:25 on 29 July 2010, Joseph Kelly wrote:

Wear anything that identifies you as NOT being from the republican community in Londonderry and see just how safe it is! The tourist board is correct in warning visitors - the numbers of tourists assaulted robbed etc in Londonderry speaks for itself.

At 21:02 on 28 July 2010, D wrote:

Exactly Mark it is no more dangerous, homophobic or sectarian than any other city in the UK. You're just as likely to be attacked in Belfast, Manchester, London, etc. The point is you'd never see a disclaimer like that on a competition to visit these cities! Another example of idiot government workers believing negative propaganda about a great city they've never even been to.