Loughs Agency look forward to supporting the 2022 Foyle Maritime Festival

Loughs Agency has been a supporter of the Foyle Maritime Festival for many years. The Agency welcomes the news that Derry City & Strabane District Council’s Business and Culture Committee have endorsed the proposal to host the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in 2022.

Sharon McMahon, CEO of Loughs Agency said: “As an organisation that cares deeply about the Foyle and its surrounding areas, Loughs Agency is delighted to welcome the Foyle Maritime Festival and Clipper Race back to our doorsteps in 2022. The number of local people getting involved in water-based activities is steadily on the rise, and this festival gives us the opportunity to showcase our picturesque rivers and loughs to an international audience, thus aiding in the development of marine tourism. We look forward to playing a role in supporting the festival and using the opportunity to highlight the social, economic and environmental benefits of the Foyle and our rivers in general.”

Sharon added “After the COVID-19 pandemic took the 2020 event away from us, it is encouraging that we can now look to the future with excitement as the light at the end of the tunnel grows ever brighter.”

Speaking at a recent Business and Culture Meeting in Derry and Strabane District Council, Head of Culture, Aeidin McCarter said “If you look back to 2018, the last Foyle Maritime Festival attracted almost 211,000 attendees, achieving over 19,000 bed nights and an estimated economic impact of at least £2million for the local economy. That gives an idea of the significance of the Festival and the Clipper Race in terms of its capacity to draw visitors from all over the world as well as international media coverage of all the North West has to offer. Needless to say, we are delighted to resume our partnership with Clipper Ventures, and we hope that, circumstances permitting, we will be able to adapt and deliver on the plans which came to such an abrupt halt last year.”

Whilst the planning phase commences let’s take a look back at the on-water activities Loughs Agency supported during the 2018 festival.