Regional Development Strategy and Sustainable Tourism

The Regional Development Strategy 2035 (RDS) also recognises tourism as a key element underpinning sustainable economic growth in Northern Ireland and Regional Guideline 4 (RG 4) seeks to promote a sustainable approach to the provision of tourism infrastructure. Sustainable tourism development is brought about by balancing the needs of tourists and the tourism industry with conserving the tourism asset. This requires management and the planning system has a key role in managing tourism-related development through planning policies that provide a framework for identifying appropriate development opportunities and safeguarding tourism assets from harmful development. The planning system also has a role in securing high quality design and integrating tourism provision with necessary infrastructure. In discharging these functions the planning system will ensure that development is sustainable and achievable without damaging those qualities in the environment which are of acknowledged public value and on which tourism itself may depend.