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 and the dissolution of BFE and CERT, 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.gov.ie/bills28/bills/2002/4002/default.htm
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, was appointed on foot of a competition previously organised by the Interim Authority and 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 grow and to 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.
Its priorities for 2005 are to develop and support regional tourism; develop the business tourism sector; improve enterprise competitiveness; encourage innovation and investment in new and existing products; promote sustainable development and champion "tourism sensitive" public policies.
On the regional front, a new home holiday marketing campaign, joint marketing initiatives with Tourism Ireland, funding of regional festivals and events, promotion of special interest tourism and supporting the activities of the Regional Tourism Authorities, will be the key areas of activity.
The new home holiday campaign has been developed by Fáilte Ireland based on extensive research on Irish consumers to identify factors favouring holidaying at home. This has resulted in a new range of multi-media advertising supported by targeted public relations at both national and regional level.
An integral element of the programme is a new look consumer web site (www.ireland.ie) with added e-business functionality to allow on-line booking of value offers from industry. The campaign is scheduled to run throughout the coming season in response to changing booking patterns.
For business tourism, the establishment of a new Business Tourism Forum by Fáilte Ireland will provide an opportunity to develop propositions to maximise the significant potential of the different business tourism segments.
At enterprise level, a range of new initiatives has been developed to address competitiveness including a new on-line facility to help individual enterprises benchmark their financial performance against similar enterprises and to highlight areas for improvement. An urgent priority for 2005 will be the completion of a strategic review of the B&B/Guesthouse sector early in the year, from which will flow a series of targeted actions.
Membership of National Tourism Development Authority
Chairperson : Gillian Bowler
Ordinary Members : Ms. Maureen Cairnduff,
Mr. Dominic Dillane,
Mr. Brian Dowling,
Mr. John McDonnell,
Mr. Noel McGinley,
Ms. Mary McKeon,
Mr. Noel O'Callaghan,
An tUasal Pádraig Ó Céidigh,
Mr. Patrick O'Donoghue,
An tUasal Páidí Ó Sé,
Ms. Catherine Reilly,
Ms. Eithne Scott-Lennon.
Chief Executive: Shaun Quinn
Staff: official complement of 223
Annual budget: in the region of €70 million
Offices: Cork, Dublin (Amiens Street & Baggot Street Bridge), Galway, Limerick, Sligo and Waterford.
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 will focus on getting the visitors to Ireland and Fáilte Ireland will focus on the quality of the experience provided to those visitors by the Irish tourism industry. Fáilte Ireland is not a North-South body. It will operate within the State.
Fáilte Ireland and Cert
A quality Tourism industry requires a skilled workforce and a comprehensive approach to the education and training of personnel. This function is delegated to Fáilte Ireland, which, following the recent dissolution of CERT on 28th May 2003, is now responsible for the recruitment, education and training of the tourism workforce.
Services:
Fáilte Ireland provides the following services for the Irish tourism industry:
- recruitment and training of school-leavers through college-based training courses;
- basic skills training for the unemployed;
- development of national training structures and programmes, industry-based training for tourism managers and workers, and
- provision of business development and advisory services to the industry.
These services are provided through a network of regional offices, hotel and catering colleges, training centres for the unemployed and hotel schools.
Fáilte Ireland and Bord Fáilte
Following the establishment of Tourism Ireland Ltd in December 2000, which amended responsibility for the international marketing of the island of Ireland as a tourism destination, Bord Fáilte Ireland retained certain responsibilities in relation to tourism marketing and promotion.
These included:
- marketing of domestic tourism on the island of Ireland;
- niche/specialist product marketing and promotions;
- regional marketing;
- implementation of specific initiatives such as the Sports Tourism Initiative and the Festivals and Cultural Events Programme.
Following the dissolution of Bord Failte on 28th May 2003, these functions were transferred to Failte Ireland
Information and Contact Points
General information in respect of tourism marketing activities and programmes of Failte Ireland and Tourism Ireland Ltd. is set out in a range of publications available directly from them.
Fáilte Ireland
Baggot Street Bridge, Dublin 2
Tel 1890 525 525 or (01) 602 4000
Fax (01) 855 6821
or
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.ireland.ie (consumer)
Fáilte Ireland
53 Castle Street
Belfast BT1 1GH
Tel (028) 9026 5500
Fax (028) 9026 5515
If dialing from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland the direct code is: (048) 9026 5500
E-mail: infob@failteireland.ie or user.name@failteireland.ie ( eg: joe.blogs@failteireland.ie )
Web: www.ireland.ie
Fáilte Ireland
Derry Visitor & Convention Bureau
44 Foyle Street
Derry, BT48 6AT
Tel/Fax (028) 7136 9501
E-mail: failteireland@derryvisitor.com