-‘Holiday At Home’ under scrutiny thanks to Williamson family-With the strong euro and prospect of a hot summer ahead, Translink and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) are joining forces to put the traditional family holiday to the test – forget the two week get-away abroad, it’s all about getting more for you money and your time… in Northern Ireland!Throughout July and August, Translink and NITB are challenging a local family, the Williamsons from East Belfast, to forego their vacation abroad and instead opt for a series of day trips in order to ‘holiday at home’, using public transport. Making use of Translink’s summer packages, including Super Summer Savers – illustrated in the form of a map of NI and available from all NI bus and rail stations or at www.translink.co.uk – the Williamsons will be plotting different day trips around NI stopping in at the Ulster American Folk Park as part of their day trip to the beautiful county of Omagh later this month.The aim of the challenge, which will see the family travelling some 703 miles around NI, is to show the public that NI can be the location for a truly successful family summer holiday, with the emphasis on fun, relaxation, visiting new places, trying new activities and spending as much time as possible with loved ones – all of which can be affordably achieved using public transport.Translink’s Communications Manager, Lynda Shannon, explains why they created the challenge:“With many pressures on the home budget many families are having to re-think their typical summer holiday. Translink wants to show that you don’t have to go abroad or spend a fortune to get the most out of your summer holidays, instead of relying on just one or two weeks abroad, the aim for families should be to spread out their budget – and the holiday feeling – throughout the long school holidays. “We are delighted the Williamson family have agreed to take up our challenge. At the end of each day trip they will be penning a travel guide to give advice and ideas to other families. These will be available on the Translink and NITB websites. The reality is you don’t have to get on a plane to have a holiday full of culture, adventure and discovery, it’s all on your doorstep and we have a range of great value tickets to get you there.â€A family of two adults, which can include any two adult friends / relatives, and up to four children can enjoy unlimited bus and rail travel in NI over the course of one day for just £18.50. While in Belfast, the Williamsons will be using the Metro Family Day Ticket which will allow them to travel anywhere in Belfast on the Metro network over the course of a day. Along with great value travel, discounts of up to 15% can be had at a number of attractions and destinations throughout NI by simply showing your bus or rail ticket. Spokesmum, Grace Williamson said: “We have always enjoyed the typical two week summer holiday abroad but in these belt tightening times we decided it was worth seeing what Northern Ireland has to offer a family on a budget this year. We don’t really know what to expect but are really excited about what lies ahead of us! My family come from Omagh so the Ulster American Folk Park day is one of the trips I am most looking forward to.â€Destination Marketing Manager at NITB Jonathan Smyth said;‘’From exploring the City walls of Londonderry, watching the Tall Ships in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter through to exploring the Mountains of Mourne, we want to communicate that Northern Ireland is a truly unique destination to holiday, packed full of world class attractions and hidden gems. With the Williamsons setting such a great example, we are encouraging people to do the same and invest in a staycation this year in order to discover some of the amazing sights that make this such a special place.â€For information on Translink timetables, fares and Summer offers log on to www.translink.co.uk or phone the call centre on 028 9066 6630.To keep up to speed with the Williamson’s holiday around NI this summer log on to www.translink.co.uk/summer