Twelfth too well-known to promote, says tourism body that snubbed biggest day in Orange calendar - on Eleventh Night
Belfast’s Twelfth is too well-known to warrant promoting, says a tourist body that snubbed this year’s celebrations.
The Orange Order is currently demanding a meeting with Tourism NI after a July 11 social media post plugging a series of events that were described as the capital city’s packed summer calendar ignored the Twelfth – despite going up just hours before the biggest day in the Orange calendar began.
Published by Discover Northern Ireland, a wing of the taxpayer-funded tourist body, the post eagerly boosted two festivals that this year have proved politically contentious, Belfast Pride and the Feile an Phobail.
Tourism NI now tells the News Letter that its social media is mainly advertising to people on the island of Ireland, and the Twelfth is already well-known on both sides of the border – though notably, the body has spent a great deal of the last three months heavily promoting the 153rd Open golf tournament and connected events, and the Open is one of the most prestigious sporting events in the calendar.
Initially, Tourism NI said the Twelfth wasn’t mentioned in the July 11 message as the post was aimed at people thinking of visiting Belfast “in future weeks”. Two of the events, including Pride, began seven days after it went up, while three more get under way this weekend, including the Feile.
The tourist body made no mention of the Twelfth or the family-friendly Orangefest in Belfast city centre on its social media at all this year, despite the Orange Order asking it to do so – though details did appear on its Discover Northern Ireland website.
Now, Tourism NI claims there was no need to promote the biggest day in the Orange calendar on its social media.
A spokeswoman told the News Letter: “Tourism NI’s social media activity is aimed primarily at residents in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, with the purpose of making those residents aware of the wide range of events taking place across Northern Ireland in the weeks ahead. There is already extensive awareness of the Twelfth celebrations across the island of Ireland.
“It is a matter for individuals to decide which events they may wish to attend.”
This year, Belfast Pride is explicitly protesting a ban on puberty blockers for gender non-conforming youth, and has barred all four parties that make up the Northern Ireland Executive as part of that.
The West Belfast Feile, regularly sparking anger for staging huge shows from explicitly Republican bands like Kneecap and the Wolfe Tones, has now hit the headlines for hosting a youth sports competition named in honour of Joe Cahill, a man integral in the creation of the Provisional IRA and who served as its chief of staff during the 1970s.
Tourism NI was asked whether officials believe it’s appropriate for them to promote politically controversial events, such as those two festivals, but did not address that question.
The body was also asked if it believes the Twelfth is a tourist-friendly event and, if so, whether it should be advertised on Tourism NI social media when several other events are being jointly promoted – but again did not address the question.