A DIVING business based on the north coast has made a major six-figure investment in a bid to attract more tourists from the United States, Europe and Asia.
Aquaholics Dive Centre in Portstewart has bought a new commercial catamaran on a par with those used in the Maldives and Red Sea.
The business, which has the highest level of accredited from PADI (The Professional Association of Diving Instructors), provides diving holidays to local and international visitors, as well as diving training and sea safari boat trips.
In addition, it retails diving equipment online and from two physical outlets, and provides marine services for film crews from Game of Thrones, BBC and Disney during shoots at sea.
Aquaholics owner Richard Lafferty said diving is big business.
“With world class diving on the north coast, Aquaholics attracts a lot of groups and individuals from Europe, the US and Russia," he said.
"Not a lot of people realise how attractive the north coast is to divers and we see a real opportunity to bring more international visitors to the area. This new, state-of-the-art vessel enables us to provide the high quality service our customers now expect.”
Rhonda McClelland, business manager at Ulster Bank which supported the expansion added: “Richard has diversified the business extremely well, including his line of work in servicing media companies and film crews. He has also invested well in his core diving operation and we are very pleased to support this latest purchase intended to bring more international visitors to the north coast.”
