Ben Lowry: Tourism NI should use the name of the country it is tasked with promoting, Northern Ireland, not the preferred republican term 'the north'

This week reported on yet another apparent, but subtle, republican advance – one that is almost comic.

(To read Ben Lowry’s main column on oil prices, click here)

placeholder image — Cavehill, with Northern Ireland's capital city Belfast in the background. Tourism NI is responsible for the marketing of Northern Ireland yet its 10-year plan barely used the name, instead using a term Sinn Fein prefers 'the north'

Our journalist Adam Kula reported that Tourism NI, which on its own web page says it is “responsible for the development of tourism and the marketing of Northern Ireland”, was in fact promoting it as “the North” (click here to read Adam’s story). This might be due to Sinn Fein running its parent body, the Department for the Economy.

Adam’s interest was piqued when Tourism NI had said, in response to a query from this paper about the NW200, that it generated “more than £9 million into the north's economy.” Given that the race takes place on the north coast we wondered if that meant there. Tourism NI replied to say it meant “the Northern Ireland economy”.

So why are they saying “the north”, which – if they were being vague – would cause confusion or, if they being political, is seeming to negate Tourism NI’s mission statement.

Last year’s Tourism NI 10-year plan had 21 usages of “the North”, and five of “Northern Ireland” – three of which are references to titles with ‘NI’ in the name. Alliance MLA Danny Donnelly dismissed concerns about this, saying: “Call places what you want, but don’t criticise others for doing the same.”

But of course anyone can use glowing terms for Northern Ireland or negative if they prefer. Tourism NI itself should use the formal name.

Ben Lowry (@Benlowry2) is News Letter editor