ON YOUR BIKE… Fermanagh tourism could be boosted with a new mountain bike centre
Lough Navar Forest could be in line for a major re-development as as regional mountain bike trail centre.
Outdoor Recreation NI the group behind the recent multi-million pound mountain bike trail developments across Northern Ireland, has launched a 10 year strategy for mountain biking in Northern Ireland in which Lough Navar Forest has been identified as a potential site for a national mountain bike trail centre.
Open approximately 18 months, purpose-built mountain bike trail centres in Castlewellan, Rostrevor, Blessingbourne, Davagh Forest and Barnett Demesne in Belfast have been visited over 120,000 times and have received critical acclaim from the UK’s leading mountain bike magazines.
It is hoped a similar creation in Fermanagh would further boost the tourism trade within the county.
Speaking at the launch of this 10 year strategy, Director of Outdoor Recreation NI, Dr Caro-Lynne Ferris believes that by harnessing this momentum and combining phase II developments in existing sites with concept plans being considered for a regional trail centre in Lough Navar Forest as well as a potential long distance ride in Fermanagh will further enhance the growing reputation of Northern Ireland as a world class mountain bike destination.
“Northern Ireland’s mountain bike trails in Belfast, the Mournes, Tyrone and the Sperrins have been a huge success and have firmly placed Northern Ireland on the mountain biking map.
However, rather than rest on our laurels, this strategy outlines objectives for future growth and maps out how we can harness the full potential of the UK’s fastest growing adventure activity so that the local population in Fermanagh can also enjoy world class trails on their doorstep and allow the local economy to reap the rewards mountain biking can bring to this area over the next 10 years.”
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