BELFAST BRIEFING:The North used to close down for the Twelfth fortnight but it is open for tourist business now, writes FRANCESS McDONNELL

IS IT time for a break from the office and a well-deserved holiday from your work colleagues?

Then perhaps Northern Ireland, where “staycations” are all the rage according to latest tourism figures, might be the place to spend your hard-earned cash this summer.

Why not consider the North when you can, for example, stay in an award-winning Georgian country house with a national nature reserve on your doorstep and enjoy the chance to sample a fantastic deli just around the corner.

The only drawback with this example is that there is no promise of a beach and the destination may involve taking something of a leap of faith.

The Georgian accommodation, Newforge House, the nature reserve at the Lough Neagh Discovery Centre and the Yellow Door Deli are all in the borough of Craigavon – not normally considered a must-see holiday destination.

But the new “Discover Craigavon” initiative aims to change all that. It wants to reveal the attractions of a borough that, in the past, was perhaps better known for its sprawling industrial estates and sectarian violence than its forests, lakes and award-winning cuisine.

More than a decade ago when the borough, which is based around the towns of Portadown, Lurgan and Craigavon, was playing host to ugly riots and Orange Order standoffs, the idea of a holiday in the area would have seemed ludicrous.

Fast forward 12 years though, and, against the backdrop of the waters of Lough Neagh and the gentle sounds of the wildlife sanctuary at Oxford Island, the Drumcree disorders seem like a lifetime away.

It is exactly this type of experience that Craigavon borough chiefs hope will help create a new tourism identity for the area that will ultimately result in jobs and investment.

Olga Murtagh, the director of development with Craigavon Borough Council, believes tourism can be an important economic driver for the area and she is firmly of the belief that the borough has not got a negative reputation to contend with.

Murtagh says Craigavon borough no longer suffers from the Drumcree effect. That chapter is in the past and it can compete with any other location in the North when it comes to delivering a tourist-rich experience.

She points to the fact that the Orange Order parade has passed off peacefully at the church since 1998 and that there are generally good cross-community relations in the area.

In a borough which has few major employers, bar the likes of the pharmaceutical giant Almac, any opportunity to create employment for local people is hugely important.

It is not just Craigavon which is competing for the tourist dollar, euro and even the local pound.

The North’s traditional holiday season kicks off next Monday on July 12th. Historically, local businesses closed for two weeks. While many manufacturing firms still operate an annual closure period around this time, it is less of a formality than it used to be.

The change in holiday patterns combined with the depressed local economy could deliver a significant upturn for the local tourist industry, which is struggling to attract international visitors as a result of the global downturn.

According to tourism minister Arlene Foster, more people are now holidaying at home for a variety of reasons.

“During 2009, the total number of trips taken by Northern Ireland residents at home grew by over one-third compared to the previous year. This has made an important contribution to our local economy,” Foster says.

She believes that “Northern Ireland provides unique experiences, unmatched in other destinations”.

One of those unique experiences coming up next week is what the North’s tourist board describes as a flagship event – the Twelfth of July celebrations. Five Twelfth demonstrations organised by the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland have been selected as tourism flagship events next Monday in Hillsborough, Portrush, Cookstown, Newtownstewart and Antrim.

This year like last, many shops and stores in the North will remain open for business, unlike in years gone by when Northern Ireland virtually came to a standstill over the Twelfth fortnight.

It is a welcome sign of how the tourist industry has matured in recent years but, as Foster stresses, there is a lot more to be done.

The industry in the North currently supports 40,000 jobs but there is a consensus that it could help create significant new employment opportunities.

Last month Foster’s Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment published a new draft tourism strategy which sets ambitious targets – increasing visitor numbers from 3.2 million to 4.5 million and increasing revenue from £536 million to £1 billion by 2020.

One way forward, the strategy suggests, is to be more “visitor- inspired in all our actions” – providing holidaymakers with a genuine welcoming and rewarding experience.

It is, after all, what they are paying for and if they get it, then chances are they will be happy to pay again on their next visit.

That is what is going to make the difference when it comes to the economy.