BANGOR – A group of visitors from Northern Ireland toured the streets of downtown Bangor on Wednesday morning, taking note of how the city promotes its artistic and cultural assets.

The visit is part of an effort between Maine and several towns in Northern Ireland to share successful strategies for economic development. This was the third visit to Maine for some of the 19 mayors and city planners, tourism officials and private-sector professionals from Coleraine, Down, Newtonabby, Ards and Banbridge, Northern Ireland

“It’s been a real eye-opener for us,” said Maurice Bradley, mayor of Coleraine. “The advantage Maine has is you have control over how you plan your city and you have revenue streams through your city. We don’t have the power to levy taxes.”

Bradley noted that he sees many similarities between Maine and Northern Ireland in terms of population size and distribution and scenery. He said that like Bangor, Northern Ireland is often a day-trip destination, and he and the rest of the delegation are trying to find ways to encourage visitors to spend more time in their region.

Ireland ranked 29th in a list of Maine’s top 30 export destinations in 2006, according to the Maine International Trade Center. Maine exports to Ireland dropped by 36 percent from 2005 to 2006, the center data showed.

After visits to Portland, Brunswick and Augusta on Monday and Tuesday, the group on Wednesday toured the University of Maine Museum of Art and the Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor. The officials also spoke with representatives from Bangor Savings Bank and the Maine Crafts Association about their collaborations to promote a creative economy in Maine.

“I wanted the group to really see how the private sector in Maine is supporting the creative economy,” said Virginia Manuel, whose Littleton firm, Manuel & Associates, organized the visit.

Manuel escorted the group to a luncheon at the University of Maine, where they also toured the Maine Forest Bio Products Research Initiative and the Advanced Engineering Wood Composites Center.

Today the group heads to Rockland and Camden.