Round the world yacht race boosts North West economy

By David Hunter

The 'Clipper' round the world yacht race brought an estimated £3.5million to the local economy last July.

Over  163,000 people attended the maritime festival in Derry - Londonderry with a quarter of those coming from outside Northern Ireland.

The city hosted the event for the third and final time in 2016 after signing a six year deal as part of the UK city of Culture title held in 2013.

Clipper Race CEO William Ward said: “The partnership between the Clipper Race and Derry-Londonderry has always felt incredibly special, but to read this report and hear exactly how the city, and its local community, has benefited both economically and socially, provides a clear and measurable achievement.”

“Whilst Derry-Londonderry may not be on the same geographical scale as other Clipper Race destinations, such as New York, Sydney, and London, its strong community pride and infectious sense of hospitality has consistently made it one the most popular stopovers across all six continents we visit, which makes it one of our biggest success stories in the twenty years of working with global destinations.”

 Belfast based analysis firm, CARD Group  showed a growth in visitor spend of 16%, a significant increase on the £3 million recorded in 2014.

The report found July 2016 was the best performing month for hotel room sales ever recorded in the city, peaking at 97.89% on July 16.

An estimated 22,096 bed nights were purchased during the festival, with average hotel occupancy at 85.55% during the nine days.

Over 300 performers, 86 trade stands, and 60 water based activities were on offer last year for members of the public.

Researchers found a quarter of all festival visitors came from outside Northern Ireland, a 25% increase from 2014.

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Hilary McClintock, said: “The Clipper Race has given us an incredible opportunity to welcome visitors from all over the world and it has been fantastic to see Derry-Londonderry profiled in such a positive way on its significant global platform.”

“Once again we have demonstrated our ability to stage an international event generating substantial revenue for the local economy and enhancing the region’s profile as an exciting and unique visitor destination.

"Thank you to all the local businesses and community members who came together to make this such a memorable experience, both for the city and all those who visited us from afar.”