Boost North Antrim's Bed and Breakfast industry: Wright

Mr Wright, the North Antrim UUP Association Secretary and himself a farmer, said: “In spite of the credit crunch and economic recession, many people are already thinking of where they will spend holidays and short breaks.

“Our answer is simple - we in the UUP want you to spend your holidays in North Antrim, and if elected I will be working on a scheme to develop the constituency as a major holiday destination, not just for people from the county, but across the Province and the Republic and the wider United Kingdom and Europe.

“As a UUP candidate, I call on the Stormont Executive and Northern Ireland tourist authorities to develop a thriving bed and breakfast industry for tourists and visitors to the constituency.

“It is equally important the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development work hand in hand with the tourist authorities to develop the concept of the bed and breakfast industry within the farmhouse community, which would also generate additional income for many hard-pressed farmers.”

And as part of his drive to boost tourism throughout the North Antrim constituency, Mr Wright said a central plank of this policy would be the support of existing touring caravan sites.

“If we had a series of such strategically placed sites – along with a network of quality bed and breakfast establishments, it would mean that tourists can take full advantage of sight-seeing and shopping facilities within many areas of the constituency,” said Mr Wright.