National Tourism Development Authority - Fáilte Ireland
Background
In November 2001, the Government approved the creation of a National Tourism Development Authority to promote the development of sustainable tourist facilities and services, including the promotion of training, human resources and marketing skills.
The legislation to provide for the establishment of the new National Tourism
Development Authority, known operationally as Fáilte Ireland, was
signed into law on 13 April 2003. Details of the legislation (The National
Tourism Development Authority Act 2003) can be found on the Oireachtas Website
at http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/acts/2003/a1003.pdf
On 21 May 2003, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism announced its membership and designated 28 May 2003 as its Establishment Day. The Chief Executive of the Authority, Mr Shaun Quinn, took up duty in January 2003.
Focus
Fáilte Ireland's mission is :
"To increase the contribution of tourism to the economy by facilitating the development of a competitive and profitable tourism industry."
Fáilte Ireland key role is to support and help the industry to meet the challenges facing the entire global tourism market and to sustain, or increase, the level of activity in the sector.
It is primarily a catalyst of other people's activity. It supports the industry in its efforts to be more competitive and more profitable. As the State's tourism development authority, it is well placed to address some of the broader issues that need to be tackled if the industry is to continue to grow and develop.
Its emphasis is on strategic partnership, with all the interests in Irish tourism at national, local and regional levels working together towards a common goal.
Fáilte Ireland’s range of supports and services provides those involved, or considering becoming involved in Irish tourism with a one-stop-shop to meet their business or professional needs. Working in partnership with the industry, Fáilte Ireland will meet the industry’s needs, leading and supporting Irish tourism in its next phase of development.
Among its priorities for 2010 are
- to support key tourism businesses to increase their "top line" and better manage their cost base thereby improving overall performance and sustaining employment levels,
- to develop Ireland's leading tourism destinations through the development and delivery of Destination Enterprise Network programmes, support for a portfolio of regional festivals and participative events and strong tactical marketing campaigns,
- to invest over €20 million under its capital investment programme to improve and broaden the appeal of Ireland´s portfolio of tourist attractions, activities and tourism related infrastructure,
- to facilitate innovation by tourism enterprises, and
- to launch its biggest ever home holiday marketing programme as a central plank in its strategy to increase the home market share of the overall Irish leisure break market.
Fáilte Ireland's website contains information on more than 20,000 Irish tourism businesses including details of accommodation, activities, attractions and events. The database is also geo-coded and map enabled, and includes details of thousands of Irish locations, cities, towns and villages.
Fáilte Ireland also operates and supports a network of 88 Tourism Information Offices throughout Ireland. These offices are specifically tasked with providing tourists with up to date local and national information to ensure that they have the best holiday possible.
Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland
Tourism Ireland is a North-South body, established following the Good Friday Agreement, to market the island of Ireland as a tourism destination in overseas markets. Put simply, Tourism Ireland focuses on getting the visitors to Ireland and Fáilte Ireland focuses on the quality of the experience provided to those visitors by the Irish tourism industry. Fáilte Ireland is also responsible for the marketing of domestic tourism on the island of Ireland. Fáilte Ireland is not a North-South body. It operates within the State.
Tourism Training & Development
A quality Tourism industry requires a skilled workforce and a comprehensive approach to the education and training of personnel. While this is primarily a function of individual tourism enterprises Fáilte Ireland is responsible for supporting the recruitment, education and training of the tourism workforce.
Fáilte Ireland provides the following services for the Irish tourism industry:
- provision of business development and advisory services to the industry,
- development of national training structures and programmes, industry-based training for tourism managers and workers,
- provision of funding support for craft skills programmes in ten Institutes of Technology, and
- operations management and skills development at its four permanent training centres.
Information and Contact Points
General information in respect of tourism marketing activities and programmes of Fáilte Ireland and is set out in a range of publications available directly from them.
Fáilte Ireland
Amiens Street, Dublin 1,
Tel 1890 525 525 or (01) 855 6555
Fax (01) 855 6821
E-mail: info@failteireland.ie or user.name@failteireland.ie ( eg: joe.blogs@failteireland.ie )
Web: www.failteireland.ie. (corporate)
www.discoverireland.ie (domestic
consumer)
www.discoverireland.com (overseas
consumer)