Uk: “social” tourism in west Belfast

In post conflict Northern Ireland the social economy sector is transforming communities from conflict and economic depression to rejuvenation and opportunity. One such initiative involves the ex-prisoner organisation, Coiste na n-Iarchimí and a community-based tourism project Failte Feirste Thiar (Welcome to West Belfast). The political tourism initiative operates two distinct strands. 1) political walking tours for the day tripper and 2) longer educational field trips by larger groups including students from international universities. Coiste provides alternative histories for the visitor through its walking tours. These include a tour of the Clonard area which has significance in republican history as the community which was exposed to sectarian violence in the late 1960s leading to the mass movement of people which signified the start of the troubles. Also included on the tour is a visit to international murals where solidarity with other countries experiencing political conflict is explored. The educational field trip is a much broader and more involved programme. This can be tailored to the specific needs of the visitors in question. Visitors are frequently accommodated in a local social economy hostel, providing additional development revenues for other social economy businesses. www.coiste.ie